Education

Ph.D., English, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, May 2008.
            Field of Concentration: Creative Writing-Fiction                 
            Collateral Field: Journalism
            Translation Fluency in Spanish
Dissertation: These Are My Arms, a novel
Advisor: Judith Slater
            M.A., English, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, May 2004.
            Thesis in Creative Writing: Destination Hurricane and Other Stories.   
B.A., English, Rollins College (Florida) May 1990.   Major: English. Minor: Irish Studies
                        Honors Thesis in Literature: The American Road Novel

Teaching  Interests

Writing of Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry
Twentieth and Twenty-first Century Literature        
Literature of Journalism
Writing of Flash Forms (Micro Fiction, Flash Essay, & Narrative Prose Poetry)

Anthology Publications

“Liar’s Lullaby.” Forthcoming in Tartts Three: Incisive Writing by Emerging Writers.
2007. Livingston Press, University of West Alabama.

Journal Publications
          
          Fiction:
“Legacy.” Rio Grande Review.
“These Are My Arms.” Novel excerpt. The Literary Review. 51:2 (2008).
“Ghost Image.” Portland Review. 54:1 (2007): 24-35.
“Aiken’s Grief.” Novel excerpt from Dirty. subTerrain (Canada). 46 (2007): 22-24.
“Flesh Wounds.” Descant (Canada). 136 (2007): 169-184.
“My Wife in the Bath,” “The Petrified Forest,” & “Trespassing.” PRISM International
            (Canada). 45.2 (2007): 43-47.
“Parasites.” Phantasmagoria. 6.1 (2006): 50-66.
“In Sickness As In Health.” Vanguard (Australia) 1 (2005): 75-85.
“Odds on Loser,” “Lester’s Jesus Complex,” & “The Fog Song.” South Dakota Review.
42.1 (2004): 61-65.
“The Mermaid.” Beloit Fiction Journal. 16 (2003): 36-53.

         
       
         Poetry:
“After Aunt Saucy’s.” Forthcoming in ONTHEBUS.
“Aluminum Autumn,” “Heat Wave,” “$24K in Unmarked Bills.” 580 Split. 10 (2008):
            32-34.
“Letter to You During This Our New Reincarnation,” “Specter,” & “The Third Flood.”                            

Indiana Review. Spec. Highlight on Short Short Fiction and Prose Poem. 29.1
            (2007): 145-149.
“Dear Precious Queen of Our Hearts” & “Parking Lot Prophecy.” Nimrod International
            Journal. Spec. Issue Crossing Borders. 50.2 (2007): 151-152.
“Neighbor.” Paddlefish. 1.1 (2007): 138.
            “Spread Your Wings.” Southeast Review. 25.1 (2006): 19-20.

          Nonfiction:
“Monk in the Making.” Lincoln Journal Star. Front-page feature on ten-year-old
Buddhist Monk, 7 May 2006.
“A Family’s Flight and Faith.” Lincoln Journal Star. Front-page feature on Vietnamese
            refugees, 26 Feb. 2006.

Honors

Semifinalist, Katherine Anne Porter Prize, 2008. University of North Texas Press. One of
            four story collections chosen as semifinalists.
Semifinalist, St. Lawrence Book Award, 2007. Black Lawrence Press, New York, NY.
Nominated for Pushcart Prize in Fiction, 2008. Prizes for best writing published by small
            presses and literary journals.
Nominated for Pushcart Prize in Poetry, 2008. Prizes for best writing published by small
            presses and literary journals.
Semifinalist, Iowa Short Fiction Award, 2007. University of Iowa Press. One of twenty
            story collections chosen from submission pool of over 400.
Finalist, Tartt First Fiction Award, 2007. Livingston Press, University of West Alabama.
Nominated for Pushcart Prize in Fiction, 2006. Prizes for best writing published by small
presses and literary journals.
Nominated Best American New Voices, 2006. Yearly anthology publishing the best
            fiction by students in graduate creative writing programs.

Awards

Frederick A. Stuff Memorial Dissertation Fellowship, English Department, University of
            Nebraska, 2008. One course release from teaching assistantship awarded on
            potential of dissertation and academic work.
Louise VanSickle Fellowship in Creative Writing, English Department, University of
            Nebraska, 2007-08. Awarded annually to one graduate student prose writer.
Maude Hammond Fling Fellowship, University of Nebraska,  2006-07. One of
            UNL’s most prestigious graduate fellowships, awarded to those students who
            have demonstrated the highest level of academic performance. ($14,000)
Wilbur and Elizabeth Gaffney Travel Fellowship, University of Nebraska, 2006.
College of Arts & Sciences Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, University
of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2005. One of three annually awarded.
Mari Sandoz/Prairie Schooner Award in Short Fiction, 1st Place, 2005, “These Are My
            Arms.”
Weldon Kees Writing Fellowship, Novel Master Class with Nicolas Delbanco, Nebraska
            Summer Writers’ Conference, 2005.
Frank & Marie Wheeler Fellowship, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2005-2006.
Certificate of Recognition of Contribution to Students, University of Nebraska Teaching
            Council and the Parents Association, 2004.
Mari Sandoz/Prairie Schooner Award in Short Fiction, 3rd Place, “The Mermaid,” 2003.
Fiction Contest Winner, Omaha Pulp 2003, “Ghost Town,” novel excerpt from Rising City.

Teaching Experience

          Creative Writing Resident, Hendrix College (Conway, Arkansas) 2008-Present.
            Creative Writing: Fiction, English 204, Fall 2008. Short story workshops with lectures
                        and writing exercises.
Introduction to Academic Writing, English 110, Fall 2008. Instruction on forms, styles,
            grammar, and analytical skills for success in undergraduate writing.
       
          Teaching Assistant, University of Nebraska, 2003-2008. All stand-alone sections.
Advanced Fiction Writing, English 352, Spring 2006. Explored the craft of novel writing,
topic research, structure. Discussions of published novels; student-led craft
discussions; and workshops focusing on students’ in-progress novels.
Twentieth Century Fiction, English 205, Fall 2007. Examines the 20th Century as “The
Visual Age.” Study trends in fiction and look at fiction in regard to ethnicity,
gender, class, and place.
Writing of Fiction, English 252, Spring 2004, Fall 2004, Spring 2005, Fall 2005, Spring
            2008. Short story workshops with lectures and writing exercises.
Writing from Literature, English 101, Spring 2006, Fall 2007. Current course focuses on
Travel Writing in fiction and nonfiction; students write about and in the genres.
Writing: Rhetoric as Inquiry. English 150, Fall 2003 (2 sections), Spring 2004, Fall 2004.
Designed for beginning writers to explore local and personal identities,
considering themselves as inhabitants of cultures and communities.

          Workshop Facilitator, Lighthouse Writers Workshop (Denver, CO) 2003-Present.
Short Story, Team taught with Nick Arvin and Janis Hallowell, Lighthouse Lit Fest,
June 2007. Two-day workshop.
Flash Forms, Lighthouse Lit Fest, June 2007. One-day intensive on flash fiction and non-
fiction, as well as narrative prose poems.
Revising for Resonant Image, Lighthouse Lit Fest, June 2007. One-day intensive.
            Writing the Novel, Summer 2004. 8-week course. (2 sections)
Writing the Short Story, Summer 2003. 8-week course.  (2 sections)

          Instructor, Denver Technical College, 1994-1995.
            E092 Intermediate English, Winter 1995.
            E112 Composition, Fall 1994 (2 sections), Winter 1995.

Other Academic Work Experience

Head Teacher, Accelerated Schools (Denver, CO) 1996-2002, Summers 2003 & 2004.
            Instructed grades 9-12 English curriculum, including American and World
            literatures, composition, and grammar; managed students’ complete academic
            program; designed daily field lessons; oversaw assistant teachers, trained
            incoming teachers, and managed satellite campus.
Writing Coordinator, Accelerated Schools, 1997-2002. Designed and implemented
writing evaluation via essay test for five satellite campuses (150 students/ 900
tests per year).
Research Assistant, Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory (Contract, 1996).
            Assisted in researching, writing, and revising Florida’s Curriculum Frameworks,
            including chapters on Content Standards and Professional Development.
English Teacher, Central Florida Academy, 1991-1993. (Ceased operations in 1995)
            Creative Writing, 1991-1992, 1992-1993.
            American Literature, Grade 11, 1991-1992, 1992-1993 (2 sections).
World Literatures, Grade 12, 1991-1992, 1992-1993 (2 sections).
Composition, Grades 9 and 10 (Fall 1991, Spring 1992).
Peer Writing Consultant. Rollins College Writing Center. 1989-1999.

Editorial & Journal Experience

Senior Fiction Reader, Prairie Schooner, 2006-2008. Coordinate reading efforts for
reading of fiction manuscripts for national literary quarterly.
Fiction Screener, Prairie Schooner Book Prize Series. 2005-2007. Annually screened
forty story collections and recommended potential winners. In 2007, recommended the winner,

Stories from the Portuguese by Katherine Vaz.
Assistant to Ted Kooser for American Life in Poetry, University of Nebraska. Read and
            selected poetry from literary journals for inclusion in weekly, national newspaper
            column. Project funded by the Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine,
            and the Library of Congress. 2005.
Poetry Screener, Prairie Schooner Book Prize Series. 2004. Screened fifty poetry
            collections and recommended potential winners.
Graduate Research Assistant, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Fall 2002-Spring 2003;
            Reading Series Publicity Coordinator, Creative Writing Program; Electronic
            Archive Assistant, Cather Project; Editorial Assistant, Prairie Schooner. 

Professional Development Experience

Fiction writing with Tim O’Brien (two-week course). University of Nebraska (2008).
Novel class with David Leavitt. Nebraska Summer Writers’ Conference (2006).
Master class in novel with Nicholas Delbanco. Nebraska Summer Writers’ Conference.(2005).
Novel class with William Haywood Henderson. Lighthouse Writers Workshop (8-week
            course 2002).
Short story class with Andrea Dupree. Lighthouse Writers Workshop with Andrea
            Dupree (three 8-week courses, 2001 & 2002).
Conferences & Papers

“Breaking into Literary Periodicals.” Panel member and representative for Prairie
            Schooner. Lighthouse Lit Fest. Denver, Colorado, June 2007.
“Voice and Photography.” Pedagogy Paper. Association of Writers and Writing Programs
            Conference. Austin, Texas, March 2006.
“Writing about Taboo.” Pedagogy Paper. Association of Writers and Writing Programs
            Conference. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, March 2005.
“Teaching Sexually Explicit Material.” Panel Member. University of Nebraska-Lincoln
            Pedagogy Conference. Lincoln, Nebraska, November 2004.
“Creating Active Setting.” Pedagogy Paper. Association of Writers and Writing Programs
            Conference. Chicago, Illinois, March 2004.
“Undergraduate English Students Applying to Graduate School.” Panel Member.
            University of Nebraska. Lincoln, Nebraska, November 2003.

Academic & Department Service

Volunteer, Nebraska Summer Writers’ Conference, 2005-2006.
Student Docent, Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery, 2005-2007.
Guest Lecturer English 150, Writing as Argument, “Writing Profiles,” 2006.
Committee Member, No-Name UNL Graduate Student Reading Series, 2003-2005. 
Guest Writer, English 452, Writing of Fiction, September 2003. 

Readings

Lighthouse Lit Fest Faculty Reading, Denver, CO, 2007.
Nebraska Summer Writers’ Conference, Lincoln, NE, 2005, 2006.
No-Name Reading Series, Lincoln, NE, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008.
Nebraska Book Festival, Lincoln, NE, 2005.
Lighthouse Workshop Reading Series, Denver, CO, 2004.

Creative Manuscript Projects

Dirty, a novel (submitted to commercial publishers).
Our Love Stories Are Ghost Stories, stories (submitted to national contests).
These Are My Arms, novel-in-progress and dissertation.
The Children of Rip Van Winkle, in-progress manuscript of poems and nonfiction.

Literary Agent
The Lazear Agency

Associations
Modern Language Association
Association of Writers & Writing Programs
           
Credentials
My confidential credential file, containing letters of recommendation and transcript, is
available from the English Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Please
contact me to receive a copy.