I live in the woods of Penobscot, Maine with an energetic black and white standard poodle and a rambunctious small dog (breed unknown.) The deer are seen daily; the bears in the spring.
As a youngster I grew up in New Bedford, Massachusetts. We lived in tenements and later a housing project. Thanks to hard work by my parents who worked in the mills, we moved into our own home when I was a teenager. That was hard for me. I missed my friends and the convenience of having everyone nearby. The move taught me change can be painful but can lead to something brighter, something unimaginable.
At sixteen, I began to work at the Aerovox Mill where I made electrical components (the inside of batteries) after school; one summer I worked at Cameo Curtains, another mill where you guessed it – curtains were made. I witnessed women of all ages from backgrounds like mine toil over sewing machines on hot sticky days doing the same task over and over. I knew I wanted something different. I made the decision to become a nurse.
Nursing provided meaningful employment no matter where I lived in the U.S. or overseas. I was always excited and challenged to go to work until something began to nag at me. A little voice nudging me to write.
There was the early memory of a high school teacher taking me aside and pointing out how well I wrote. Like a dummy, I sat staring at her and said nothing. I did not understand the importance of that conversation. Journalism was not in my vocabulary.
I started with the basics of writing for children through the Institute of Children’s Literature. Later, inspired by a professor while obtaining my BA at Goddard College, I fell under the spell of Emily Dickinson’s poetry. This led to Dear Emily, an introduction of Dickinson’s poetry and life to middle school students. I have visited classrooms with trays of small gingerbread cupcakes (Dickinson made gingerbread cakes for her neighbor’s children). Youngsters have told me that they love Dickinson for “her big words.”
When the call for change came again, I went to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And out of that amazing experience, came my memoir, Into the Kingdom.
Back in the U.S. and living on a boat in Boston Harbor, I was asked by an attorney to develop a policy and procedure manual for home care. I was sparked by the idea of always working in a law firm. I became a legal nurse consultant, certified. LNCC work further horned my writing skills. I have worked for attorneys – all excellent writers, in Houston and Bangor.
I have been published in week-end magazines, local newspapers, and small presses.
When I am not bugging agents and publishers, I research the history of Penobscot. This small town comes from amazing pioneers and a lively past. Stay tuned.