I grew up journaling...

As early as I could write.

Raised in the heart of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, I still have my first “Snoopy” diary with a broken lock and missing key. It was the way I processed the world around me and made my inner experience real.

Many years later, journaling segued into professional writing. I started as a screenplay translator while living in Paris. In New York City, I wrote and directed two short documentary films about the sudden death of Jonathan Larson, creator of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical “Rent”; and then I landed in Los Angeles where I wrote and created for children’s television (Jim Henson, Nickelodeon and National Geographic Kids). I also published two coffee table books, including one about secret societies! At the same time, I sharpened my editorial eye as a story analyst for Creative Artists Agency (CAA), 20th Century Fox and Gaumont Télévision.

…I would find my true calling inside the burgeoning spoken word movement in Los Angeles…

But I would find my true calling inside the burgeoning spoken word movement in Los Angeles, largely inspired by the groundbreaking series, The Moth.

During my 13-year tenure as co-executive producer of Spark Off Rose, a popular spoken word series in West LA, I worked closely with writers and often with deeply personal material. It is here that I discovered my love for memoir and personal narrative while cultivating both fresh and seasoned voices and directing the monthly live stage performances. In guiding the writers (many of whom did not consider themselves ‘writers’) through the process, I came to know the power of storytelling—witness to the transformation and healing—as well as the deep sense of community and connection that happens when we share our stories.