Through writing, I connect with others, discover truths, and explore questions.
My work for adults, which includes poetry, essays, fiction, non-fiction, and plays, has appeared in The Washington Post, My Unsung Hero, New Note Poetry, 100 Word Story, Viewless Wings, SoFloPoJo, Mothering, Muse, Teacher, Cicada, New Poets Review, and many more. I am currently working on several projects including a collection of essays and a new novel.
I teach graduate-level classes, offer workshops, lead retreats, and facilitate creative-writing salons for numerous organizations in the NJ area and around the country. I also teach privately in person and via Zoom/Skype. See my page on manuscript consultation and coaching to find out more.
My day-job is one of the most rewarding I could imagine: writing fiction for children and young adults and speaking at schools and libraries across the country.
In my novels for young adults, I explore the journeys of characters who are trying to find their voices. Guitar Notes, Open Mic Night at Westminster Cemetery, and Get Happy have connected me with readers all over the world who, in turn, encourage and sustain me with so many thoughtful and passionate letters and comments that I have to pinch myself. It was in Guitar Notes that I first began to use the word thrum to describe the connection that I feel in the sharing of creative work.
My work for children, which includes many stand-alone novels and chapter books as well as several series, gives me a chance to honor and showcase the wonder and struggle of childhood.
Awards include:
- Beehive Book Award
- Buckeye Book Award
- Maud Hart Lovelace Award
- The Maryland Library Association Maryland Author Award
- The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators National Magazine Writing Award
- The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Nonfiction Book Grant
- The Heekin Foundation’s Fellowship for Children’s Novel-in-Progress
- Indiana University’s Keisler Prize for Poetry
- Arizona Young Readers Award
Literary Representation:
-
- Gallt & Zacker
Poetry, Audio Poetry, Video Poetry, Flash Fiction
I’m Always Trying to Fill /New Note Poetry Autumn 2022
Letting Go /SoFloPoJo August 2022
They Will Know Us By Our Art /Viewless Wings Summer 2022
Morning Rush–Metro /Heartwood Literary Magazine, 2022
Hello Girls / Sheepshead Review, 2022