ABOUT

Born in London, from my earliest days, I was always immersed in stories and drawn to other cultures by a love of language and history. My B.A. was in English and Related Literatures (we had to read Icelandic, & Old and Middle English!) and though I traveled and went to school in France and Germany, I landed in New York-which was unexpected. An evening Master’s degree introduced me to my mentor, Neil Postman, who drew me into the doctoral program, into teaching at NYU, and thus into my vocation.

 

From my first day in class, I have found engaging with students challenging, dynamic, and rewarding. For the last few years, I have turned from writing articles into writing books. My first was about firefighters; my second, an adventure set during the American Civil War; and in between teaching and life, I am writing a third. Building relationships with students and helping them discover their strengths and passions is an amazing privilege. My upbringing, temperament, and experiences have shaped who I am, giving me an affinity for the “outsider”, a respect for opposing points of view, and a realization that no one can ever be pigeon-holed. I tried to convey that perspective to my students, encouraging their creativity, while nurturing their skills as writers and thinkers.

 

Last year as summer approached, I realized I wanted to stretch my wings and try a different kind of teaching. Accordingly, I left my school and increased my volunteer work at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center ,where I work in the Holographic Theatre, and began more formal study of World War Two and the Holocaust.

​

In a separate but parallel strand, I have been writing for newsletters and in-house magazines for as long as I can remember and speaking or lecturing to groups about topics near and dear to my heart. In and around Chicago, I have presented to the ADL, to Facing History when they hosted Bryan Stevenson a few years ago, and to civic groups as close as the suburbs and as far away as Rockford. This is my first venture into blogging.

​