I have been helping Pitt-Johnstown students master the craft of writing for over twenty years, and it's a job I love! As Coordinator of our Creative Writing major, I encourage our Writing majors and minors to prepare for publishing and other creative pursuits that await them upon graduation. My colleagues and I also see to it that our students have opportunities for creative expression during their time here at Pitt-Johnstown. Poetry Workshop; Poetry Writing; Digital Poetry; Playwriting; Form & Theory; Introduction to Creative Writing - these are among my favorite courses to teach.
My publications include three books: Cruel Folklore, The Saint of Withdrawal, and Whittling Lessons. Individual poems of mine appear in literary journals such as The Laurel Review, Prairie Schooner, Gesture, Heart Online, Human Equity Through Art, and Coal Hill Review.
In addition to being a professor, I enjoy volunteering for community development efforts in the city of Johnstown, most especially around food systems, housing, and public art. I have also developed writing workshops for teenagers at risk as well as adults recovering from addiction, and I have coordinated service-learning experiences for university students in Tanzania, Ecuador, and Kentucky.
Education & Training
- BA, Allegheny College: Environmental Sociology
- MFA, University of Iowa: Poetry
- PhD, Ohio University: English/Creative Writing
Representative Publications
Cruel Folklore (Seven Kitchens Press, 2017)
The Saint of Withdrawal (Edges Series and WordTech Communications Press, 2006)
Whitting Lessons (Finishing Line Press, 2005)
Research Interests
- Poetry Writing
- Poetics
- Ethnography and Folklore