PUBLICATIONS
Novel Publications
Crown of Dust, HarperCollins UK, January 2006; released in the US by Soho Press, November 2010.
Reliance, Illinois, Soho Press, May 2016.
Fire Season (in progress).
Selected Short Publications
“The Gospel of Cantaloupe.” Arc Digital. Fall 2020. Reprinted in The Common Politic. February2021.
"Communal Guilt, Justice, and Grace.” The Common Politic. January 2021.
“Mrs. Thomas.” Arc Digital. Spring 2019 (short story, reprinted from the Farallon Review).
“You Are Not The Special One.” Mutha Magazine. Spring 2019 (essay).
“Hari Kunzru's White Tears.” New Orleans Review. February 3, 2018 (book review).
"Writing as Laborious Play." Brevity. Fall 2017 (craft essay).
“Richard Bausch’s Living in the Weather of the World. Ploughshares. July 7, 2017 (book review).
“The Tourist, the Expat, and the Native: A Traveler’s Approach to Crafting Historical Fiction.” The Fiction Writers Review, Summer 2016; republished in The Historical Novel Society Review. Summer 2017 (craft essay).
“A Short History of My Breasts.” Mutha Magazine. Spring 2015 (essay, humor).
“WE Are Not Pregnant.” Mutha Magazine. Summer 2014 (essay).
“Canyon.” Orlando Prize Finalist, Fall 2010; performed by Stories On Stage, Sacramento Poetry Center, November 26, 2010; The Farallon
Review, Spring 2011.
Crown of Dust, HarperCollins UK, January 2006; released in the US by Soho Press, November 2010.
Reliance, Illinois, Soho Press, May 2016.
Fire Season (in progress).
Selected Short Publications
“The Gospel of Cantaloupe.” Arc Digital. Fall 2020. Reprinted in The Common Politic. February2021.
"Communal Guilt, Justice, and Grace.” The Common Politic. January 2021.
“Mrs. Thomas.” Arc Digital. Spring 2019 (short story, reprinted from the Farallon Review).
“You Are Not The Special One.” Mutha Magazine. Spring 2019 (essay).
“Hari Kunzru's White Tears.” New Orleans Review. February 3, 2018 (book review).
"Writing as Laborious Play." Brevity. Fall 2017 (craft essay).
“Richard Bausch’s Living in the Weather of the World. Ploughshares. July 7, 2017 (book review).
“The Tourist, the Expat, and the Native: A Traveler’s Approach to Crafting Historical Fiction.” The Fiction Writers Review, Summer 2016; republished in The Historical Novel Society Review. Summer 2017 (craft essay).
“A Short History of My Breasts.” Mutha Magazine. Spring 2015 (essay, humor).
“WE Are Not Pregnant.” Mutha Magazine. Summer 2014 (essay).
“Canyon.” Orlando Prize Finalist, Fall 2010; performed by Stories On Stage, Sacramento Poetry Center, November 26, 2010; The Farallon
Review, Spring 2011.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Distinguished Visiting Writer in Residence (fiction) Saint Mary’s College (CA) Spring 2015
Facilitate graduate fiction workshop; offer craft lecture; thesis reader and adviser.
Writing Courses Taught at Saint Mary’s College (CA)
English 025, Introduction to Creative Writing (multigenre)
English 102, Creative Writing, Fiction
English 324, Graduate Fiction Workshop
English 334, Graduate Fiction Tutorial
College Composition: Practice in Writing (Engl 003), College Composition (Engl 004) and Argument and Research (Engl 005)
Sports Writing: The "I" in Team: an interdisciplinary fiction, creative non-fiction, and discussion course.
Women of the California Gold Rush: an interdisciplinary history, literature, creative writing, and women’s studies course.
Literature and Cross-disciplinary Courses at Saint Mary’s College (CA)
Collegiate Seminar: Greek Thought (Sem 001), Roman, Early Christian, and Medieval Thought (Sem 002), Renaissance, 17th and 18th Century Thought (Sem 103) and 19th and Early 20th Century Thought (Sem 104); Critical Strategies and Great Questions (Sem 001), Western Traditions (Sem 002); Western Traditions (Sem 102, for transfers); Global Conversation (Sem 104).
Lectures, Workshops and Conference Panels
“A Personal History of Sport.” A craft course on writing personal essays. Left Margin Lit. Upcoming in fall 2022 (craft class).
“Character, Plot, and Place.” Craft course for fiction and nonfiction writers at Left Margin Lit. Fall 2021 (craft class).
“The Sellable Novel.” A six month novel writing workshop with Story Immersion. Spring-Summer 2021.
“Revising Your Prose in a Changed World.” An online revision course for fiction and nonfiction writers at Left Margin Lit. Spring 2020 (craft class).
“So You Want To Write a Novel?” A writing workshop at Left Margin Lit. January 2020 (workshop).
“The Cat and the Pickle Dish: Creating compelling narratives using details foreign and familiar.” Sierra Writers Conference. January 2019 (craft class).
“A Fish Story.” A lecture for the annual Festival of Women Authors. Berkeley, CA. February 2018.
“The Novel.” Lakeshore Writers Workshop. January 2018 (workshop).
“Women of the Gold Rush.” A lecture for the San Francisco Opera’s “Girls of the Golden West” Premier Symposium. Fall 2017.
“The Political Woman – Novelists Reimagine and Reclaim Women’s Place in Politics.” AWP Panel Moderator. Spring 2017.
Workshop Leader and Panelist. Squaw Valley Community of Writers Conference. Summer 2016.
“Why Write Historical Fiction?” AAUW lecture. Amador County. January 2016.
Speaker and Workshop Leader. Gold Rush Writer’s Conference. May 2015.
“The Fact of Fiction: Negotiating the Place of Historical Novels in Igniting an Interest in Women’s History.” WAWH Conference. May 2015.
“The Tourist, the Expat and the Native: a traveler’s guide to crafting historical fiction.” Craft seminar as the visiting writer in fiction at Saint Mary’s College. Spring 2015.
Lecture series: “Women of the California Gold Rush: Imagining History’s Lost Voices.” Public Library Lecture Series: Eugene Public Library, Eugene OR; Redmond Library, Redmond WA; Pacific Beach/Earl
& Birdie Taylor Library, San Diego CA; Lafayette Public Library, Lafayette CA. Fall 2011.
Facilitate graduate fiction workshop; offer craft lecture; thesis reader and adviser.
Writing Courses Taught at Saint Mary’s College (CA)
English 025, Introduction to Creative Writing (multigenre)
English 102, Creative Writing, Fiction
English 324, Graduate Fiction Workshop
English 334, Graduate Fiction Tutorial
College Composition: Practice in Writing (Engl 003), College Composition (Engl 004) and Argument and Research (Engl 005)
Sports Writing: The "I" in Team: an interdisciplinary fiction, creative non-fiction, and discussion course.
Women of the California Gold Rush: an interdisciplinary history, literature, creative writing, and women’s studies course.
Literature and Cross-disciplinary Courses at Saint Mary’s College (CA)
Collegiate Seminar: Greek Thought (Sem 001), Roman, Early Christian, and Medieval Thought (Sem 002), Renaissance, 17th and 18th Century Thought (Sem 103) and 19th and Early 20th Century Thought (Sem 104); Critical Strategies and Great Questions (Sem 001), Western Traditions (Sem 002); Western Traditions (Sem 102, for transfers); Global Conversation (Sem 104).
Lectures, Workshops and Conference Panels
“A Personal History of Sport.” A craft course on writing personal essays. Left Margin Lit. Upcoming in fall 2022 (craft class).
“Character, Plot, and Place.” Craft course for fiction and nonfiction writers at Left Margin Lit. Fall 2021 (craft class).
“The Sellable Novel.” A six month novel writing workshop with Story Immersion. Spring-Summer 2021.
“Revising Your Prose in a Changed World.” An online revision course for fiction and nonfiction writers at Left Margin Lit. Spring 2020 (craft class).
“So You Want To Write a Novel?” A writing workshop at Left Margin Lit. January 2020 (workshop).
“The Cat and the Pickle Dish: Creating compelling narratives using details foreign and familiar.” Sierra Writers Conference. January 2019 (craft class).
“A Fish Story.” A lecture for the annual Festival of Women Authors. Berkeley, CA. February 2018.
“The Novel.” Lakeshore Writers Workshop. January 2018 (workshop).
“Women of the Gold Rush.” A lecture for the San Francisco Opera’s “Girls of the Golden West” Premier Symposium. Fall 2017.
“The Political Woman – Novelists Reimagine and Reclaim Women’s Place in Politics.” AWP Panel Moderator. Spring 2017.
Workshop Leader and Panelist. Squaw Valley Community of Writers Conference. Summer 2016.
“Why Write Historical Fiction?” AAUW lecture. Amador County. January 2016.
Speaker and Workshop Leader. Gold Rush Writer’s Conference. May 2015.
“The Fact of Fiction: Negotiating the Place of Historical Novels in Igniting an Interest in Women’s History.” WAWH Conference. May 2015.
“The Tourist, the Expat and the Native: a traveler’s guide to crafting historical fiction.” Craft seminar as the visiting writer in fiction at Saint Mary’s College. Spring 2015.
Lecture series: “Women of the California Gold Rush: Imagining History’s Lost Voices.” Public Library Lecture Series: Eugene Public Library, Eugene OR; Redmond Library, Redmond WA; Pacific Beach/Earl
& Birdie Taylor Library, San Diego CA; Lafayette Public Library, Lafayette CA. Fall 2011.
EDUCATION
MFA in Creative Writing, Saint Mary’s College of California, Moraga, CA, 2005.
MA in Writing, with Distinction, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Wales, 2003.
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar to Aberystywth, Wales, 2001-2002.
BA in English with Biology minor, Cum Laude, Saint Mary’s College of California, Moraga, CA, 2001.
Four-year scholarship athlete, NCAA division-I, women’s college basketball.
Honors and Awards
Hedgebrook Writer’s Residency, Whidbey Island, WA, 2010
Distinguished Visiting Writer in Residence, Saint Mary’s College, Spring 2015.
Paul Harris Fellow, Moraga Rotary Club, 2010.
Vermont Studio Center Residency, Johnson, VT, January 2009.
Agnes Butler Scholarship for Excellence in Creative writing, 2004.
Chester Aaron Scholarship for Excellence in Creative Writing, 2003.
M.A. with Distinction, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, 2003.
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar to Wales, 2001-2002.
MA in Writing, with Distinction, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Wales, 2003.
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar to Aberystywth, Wales, 2001-2002.
BA in English with Biology minor, Cum Laude, Saint Mary’s College of California, Moraga, CA, 2001.
Four-year scholarship athlete, NCAA division-I, women’s college basketball.
Honors and Awards
Hedgebrook Writer’s Residency, Whidbey Island, WA, 2010
Distinguished Visiting Writer in Residence, Saint Mary’s College, Spring 2015.
Paul Harris Fellow, Moraga Rotary Club, 2010.
Vermont Studio Center Residency, Johnson, VT, January 2009.
Agnes Butler Scholarship for Excellence in Creative writing, 2004.
Chester Aaron Scholarship for Excellence in Creative Writing, 2003.
M.A. with Distinction, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, 2003.
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar to Wales, 2001-2002.
ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE
Alta Mesa Center for the Arts: Founding Director, 2021 – present
Found and direct the Alta Mesa Center for the Arts, an interfaith arts hub, housed and sponsored by Orinda Community Church.
Develop administrative structure, fundraise, budget, recruit faculty, and serve the growing SF Bay Area artistic and spiritual community. Provide a place for artists to engage in the spiritual aspects of their art and for spiritual seekers to use art to deepen and discover new avenues of spiritual experience; to provide a place where people from diverse traditions, artistic practices, and economic realities come together in community. Art is a spiritual act and a human right.
Bridging: A One-Day Writing Retreat Founding Director, 2016-2020
Founded and directed a writing retreat serving diverse communities of women from the SF Bay Area, and benefiting Hedgebrook.org and the Hedgebrook Scholarship for women authoring change at Saint Mary's College (CA).
Women’s National Book Association – SF Chapter, 2017-2019
Board Member at Large for Events Planning. Designed, organized, moderated a series of events on behalf of the WNBA.
Saint Mary’s College Honors Program Founding Director, 2007- 2011
Founded and directed the Saint Mary’s College Honors Program. Developed administrative infrastructure, budget, extra-curricular programming, and curriculum to challenge the college’s most able students.
Found and direct the Alta Mesa Center for the Arts, an interfaith arts hub, housed and sponsored by Orinda Community Church.
Develop administrative structure, fundraise, budget, recruit faculty, and serve the growing SF Bay Area artistic and spiritual community. Provide a place for artists to engage in the spiritual aspects of their art and for spiritual seekers to use art to deepen and discover new avenues of spiritual experience; to provide a place where people from diverse traditions, artistic practices, and economic realities come together in community. Art is a spiritual act and a human right.
Bridging: A One-Day Writing Retreat Founding Director, 2016-2020
Founded and directed a writing retreat serving diverse communities of women from the SF Bay Area, and benefiting Hedgebrook.org and the Hedgebrook Scholarship for women authoring change at Saint Mary's College (CA).
Women’s National Book Association – SF Chapter, 2017-2019
Board Member at Large for Events Planning. Designed, organized, moderated a series of events on behalf of the WNBA.
Saint Mary’s College Honors Program Founding Director, 2007- 2011
Founded and directed the Saint Mary’s College Honors Program. Developed administrative infrastructure, budget, extra-curricular programming, and curriculum to challenge the college’s most able students.
