Solutions in fairy tales often require radical acts—very radical solutions to very extreme problems. The magic requires no wand, no potion. The magic is invisible; the magic is real. It’s called the way you escape terrible harm. Take note. This is not escapism—it’s escape. It’s survival. These are amazing tools of resistance. Their resistance is a kind of normalized magic.--Kate Bernheimer

Write to Heal

In the novel I’m writing, a woman afflicted with PTSD tells her story using fairy tales in order to heal. In the process, she uncovers history-changing secrets hidden in Paris for more than three centuries. 

I have also completed an adult fairy tale collection called The Keys to Her Own Kingdom. In these tales, I get innovative with the forms of ancient fairy tales so my characters can free themselves from entrapments and curses.

As a writer, scholar, and teacher of English, I’ve always believed in the power of story. It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with breast cancer that I fully grasped how necessary storytelling is to survival. 

Pacific University Students in Italy

My students and I created the Chianti Conversations online magazine, a cross-cultural writing project with the directors of the La Macina di San Cresci Artist Residency program in Chianti, Italy.  Our students serve as promotional and writing interns at this 1100 year old church and villa.  

Pacific University Press: Community Through Books

At the Pacific University Press, we produce faculty-student co-written and edited books that build community and produce necessary and innovative knowledge. In collaboration with mentoring professors, students write, edit, design and promote engaging publications. Our student interns gain practical experience that prepares them for futures in the crafting, shaping, curating, and dissemination of knowledge through books and other media in their professional fields. 

Working with My Writing and Literature Students

Students want to explore through fiction writing their personal histories and current social and political challenges. They are also drawn to the critical study of science fiction, fantasy, fairy tale, and myth. Students publish pieces they produce in my courses. They also present their work at conferences and win awards for their writing.

Education

I earned a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee, one of the first universities to grant combined doctoral degrees in Creative Writing and Literature. My passion for teaching, writing, and research was informed by the diverse and electric environment at UWM.

Prior to joining the faculty at Pacific University, I served as a Professor of Literature and Writing at Sichuan University in China and at Bilkent University in Turkey.

Some of the Courses I Teach 

Fiction Workshop at the beginning and advanced levels, Studies in Fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Radical Fairy Tales, Mythology and Folklore, Trauma & Transformation, Book to Film, Writing & Research: Identity, Race & Gender, Book Editing & Design I & II.

Senior Projects

I have served as the mentoring professor on over 70 senior capstone projects. 

Example capstone projects produced by seniors under my guidance at Pacific: 

• A comic medieval high fantasy novel that pushes the boundaries of myth, chivalry, gender, and magic.
• A series of modern retellings of The Little Mermaid, Little Red Riding Hood and Bluebeard. These new versions are for adults only!
• A critical study of the way BookTok/TicTok and other social media influencers and platforms shape novel readers and their expectations

After Graduation

Students who study writing and literature with us at Pacific a number of career options and paths. This is just a sampling of what our graduates have been up to:

• Professional writers, including novelists, environmental writers, and sports journalists
• Attorneys, including a recent graduate who went on to earn an LLM degree from Harvard Law and joined a firm in Washington, DC working on civil cases
• Editors, including senior technical editor at Tetratech design firm, TV news editors for local stations, senior editors for business and nonprofits such as Oregon Light and Power
• Ph.D and MFA candidates at respected universities in the United States, Ireland, England, Scotland, and Portugal
• Librarians, including the Archive and Special Collections director at Harvard University Libraries
• Teachers. Graduates from Pacific instruct students of all ages, from elementary through college. They teach in the United States and internationally.
• Business leaders, including communications director for a CEO of Amazon in Seattle
• Counselors, including workplace therapists at Oregon Health and Sciences University, school environments, and in their own practices

Publications

My work has appeared in Kenyon Review, Hawaii Review, Willow Springs, Zyzzyva, Los Angeles Review, Passages North, Natural Bridge, Rattle, Event, Green Mountains Review, Iron Horse Review, Red Rock Review, Cha: Asian Review, Voice and Verse (Hong Kong), Journal of American Studies of Turkey, Rougarou Magazine, Escape Wheel, and other magazines. 

My essay “Becoming Foreign” about my experiences living in China and Turkey has been cited in Best American Travel Writing

Samples of My Fairy Tales

“Where Are the Littles?” in the Kenyon Review

“Millicent’s Curse” in Rougarou  

Poem and Interview

“He Was a Hell of a Cat” in Willow Springs Magazine

Residencies, Grants, and Readings

Ragdale, Hedgebrook, and Macina Di San Cresci in Italy have all graciously provided me with workspace and time to write. Elise Elliot grants have made possible faculty-student collaboration I’ve lead in the arts, including travel writing in China and Italy.

Plonk Reading Series (Portland), Grief Rites (Portland), Voice Catcher (Portland) La Macina Artists (Italy), Furnace Radio series (Seattle), and other venues have given me the opportunity to share the stage with talented authors writing in all forms.

What Brings Me Joy

Talking with my daughters and husband, traveling the world, writing my way to surprising discoveries, reading through the night, making soup with my students in the Duniway House kitchen, collaborating with artists and scholars to create better lives for everyone, walking miles through cities and the countryside, remembering with every step how grateful I am to be alive.