I've spent decades in publishing, including 15 years as a freelance writer and editor, time as Editor-in-Chief for Dirt Rag and Adventure Cyclist magazines, and as Editorial Director for Overland Expo. I have four published poetry chapbooks, a how-to eBook published by Bicycling/Hearst, and hundreds of publications from poetry to personal essay, investigative journalism, and recipes. I've been republished in a "best of" anthology, a "how to write" textbook alongside Roxane Gay and Michelle Obama, and have been nominated for "best of the web" and Pushcart awards. I've earned a BA and an MFA in Creative Writing with certifications in publishing and travel writing, and have attended many prestigious retreats on scholarship.

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I'm a longtime educator of all skill levels, from children and late bloomers to professional writers and authors. I volunteer in my local public schools as a writing coach, taught for years at Allegheny Community College, and am a guest lecturer for collegiate and post-graduate creative writing classes. As a magazine editor, I took seriously the mentorship of budding authors with adventurous spirits and a story to tell, working up to 18 months to find the driving force that made their epic voyage not just a vacation but a transformative experience worth sharing with the world.

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Now, I give writers at all levels the tools to read their work like an editor, open up their creativity, and communicate effectively with editors from pitch to payment, dream to publication. My joy is in seeing writers grow their competence and confidence as they learn to be critical but not judgmental of their own work.