Introduce yourself:
With two bibliophile parents, I grew up on a steady dose of literature and poetry—some might say the sound of language is in my blood. At least, I hope it is. I grew up on the campus of a small Quaker boarding school before attending Columbia University, where I majored in Creative Writing and specialized in fiction. I'll be pursuing my Master of Fine Arts beginning in the Fall of 2021.
I've traveled throughout the United States and Canada, including on two long solo bicycle voyages, and worked as an activist and political organizer in Philadelphia before deciding to focus on getting back in touch with my literary roots. I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 2018 and Athens, Georgia (home of UGA) in 2020. Nothing excites me more than a free-form essay prompt! Like the road ahead, the possibilities are endless!
Fun Facts:
- I was a campus DJ throughout my 4 years of college, hosting multiple radio shows across a variety of music genres. This first piqued my interest in vinyl records, which I still collect today.
- I was obsessed with dinosaurs as a kid—for a long time, I wanted to grow up to be a paleontologist. Before that, I wanted to be a pirate.
- Aside from reading and writing, my current hobbies include running, crossword puzzles, playing bluegrass guitar, hand-drawing street maps of cities (both real and imagined), and trying to identify the original rail lines whose insignias are stamped on the freight cars that rattle through my neighborhood.
Pop Quiz:
If I were a dean of admissions this is an essay prompt that I'd want students to answer: Tell me the story of a made-up adventure you'd like to have. Feel free to include any fantastical elements you'd like: ancient magic, space aliens, talking animals, etc. Be imaginative!
What do you spend too much time doing? I've been looking at the night sky a lot recently when I take my dog out for her nighttime walk. I wish I could say that doing so has taught me more about astronomy, but in truth the only constellations I can identify are Orion and the Big Dipper.
What are three skills you’ve learned in the past year that you really should’ve known already? Being stuck inside during COVID has made me learn how to complete several household chores that had previously been a mystery. For example: folding my laundry properly and cleaning all of the various components of my oven. Since moving into a house with a backyard fire pit, I've also finally mastered the art of building a decent campfire.