I love language, literature, and writing in all its forms.

I am a published author, with four critically-acclaimed books in print. My books have been reviewed and included in best-of lists by Publishers Weekly, Slate, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Portland Mercury, The Rumpus, Los Angeles Magazine, and many others. My fifth book, my first novel, releases in October of 2018. I have published essays, stories, and poems in national and international magazines.

I hold a Ph.D. in English, with an area of specialty in creative writing, from Georgia State University. I have taught at colleges and universities around the nation, including at the University of Nevada, Reno, Truckee Meadows Community College, Georgia State University, Georgia Perimeter College, and the Savannah College of Art and Design. I also teach community workshops in creative writing for the Decatur Writing Studio.

While my expertise is in creative writing, I love to take the principals of such writing and apply them to other genres, including academic essay writing. My students have gone on to publish their own work and have been finalists in contests.

I approach teaching with a laid-back and familiar style. I employ metaphors, similes, and analogies often in order to illustrate concepts. I like to get to know my students so that I can learn how they learn best, be it aural, tactile, visual, or a combination of these.