About me

As a Finnish-American Michigander with close family in the Upper Peninsula, I spent childhood summers there with my Mummu and Ukki and love saunas, squeaky cheese, and thimbleberry jam.

Most recently, I was a writer-in-residence at the Arteles Creative Center in rural Haukijärvi, Finland, where I enjoyed an old-school wood-burning sauna in the woods with creatives from all over the world, and later met a reindeer near the Arctic Circle.

I was also a writer-in-residence at Hedgebrook on Whidbey Island, where I occasionally dodged owls and listened to coyotes while enjoying campfires with a fabulously talented group of women writers from across the country.

I have all the usual university stuff, too, but I’ll spare you the resume. Besides writing, I’m also an illustrator and graphic designer.

Random stuff . . . I write to thunderstorm soundtracks and love Santa Monica VegoBears and bacon.