Writing and Publication History:

Member: National Book Critics Circle

Journals: Etude, Glimmer Train, Mediphors, Fugue, XConnect, Eclectica, Rain City Review, Hip Mama, NYQ, Pulpsmith, Talus and Scree, The Wild

Anthologies: 'Collateral Damage' - Citadel of the Spirit, February 2009; 'Magic Affinities' - Love You to Pieces, Beacon Press, May 2008, forthcoming in The Patient Who Saved My Life, Wising Up Press

Poetry: The Generations of Sarah, publ. date 1992, Alms House Press, New York City, NY, chapbook

Citations and Awards: Best American Short Stories, Oregon Literary Arts Grant - fiction, Fishtrap Fellowship, Red Cinder Residency - Big Island of Hawaii May-June 2010

Regular contributor to: Bitch Magazine, Orlo/Bear Deluxe Magazine of Environmental Arts; personal essay on working with the mentally ill forcoming in the New York Times

Book reviewer and health writer for the  Oregonian newspaper

Current Projects: agent marketing short fiction collection and work-in-progress: collection of literary nonfiction essays; serial blog 'Notes From Bedlam' about working with the mentally ill population - literary/medical essays - for InTheFray and forthcoming in the New York Times

Editor for nonfiction - Oregon Literary Review

Assistant Editor for fiction - Writers Dojo Online Magazine 

Bio:

I had an entitled upbringing in NYC; after college I moved to southern California where I remained for a decade, then on to Portland, Oregon; Portland is a great small city, a walking city, a bicycle city, a food-lover's city, a cultural center, and it has plenty of green space.  It matches my concept of home. 

I'm married to Adam Bacher, a photographer/photojournalist.

When I'm not writing, I work - as a mental health nurse - with the acutely mentally ill population for crisis stabilization.  When I'm doing neither of these, I'm reading - newspapers, medical and science essays, forensic psychiatry, novels - and watching movies, running with my dog Elsa, hanging out with my husband, or playing the piano - I'm a smokin' classical pianist.  My first BA was in literature/writing and philosophy.  My next degrees, in science and nursing, made more sense from a financial standpoint.  Working in mental health combines the best of all of it.     

My parents attended the Juilliard School, my brother was a boy soprano with the Metropolitan Opera, my uncle was a cellist.  Music is in my blood. 

My husband and I enjoy having friends over; we love to mix cocktails and cook.  Adam is  terrific on the BBQ.  We have three cats and a chatty African gray parrot in addition to Elsa, the world's best dog (I don't want to go to heaven unless my beloved animals meet me there).  We live in a small house in the city; it has a secluded yard, a hot tub and a country feel.  Summers we grow a complete salad in our vegetable garden.  Might be time to learn how to make mozarella for the tomatoes.     

I lean a little to the left of Trotsky.   

I rock out.  Gotta stay busy to keep one step ahead of the devil.