Why I Write
Writing allows me to explore how we connect with one another and our larger world. The stories we tell become the memories we have of each other. They remind us of what we value about our relationships - whom we hold dear and why, what makes us laugh, what warms our hearts, what we admire.
I’ve been privileged to share joys and sorrows with a number of extraordinarily smart, strong, creative people to whom I am forever grateful. You’ll see glimpses of them in my favorite characters. Hopefully they’ll remind you of some of your beloved friends and family as well.
What Informs My Writing
I am a wife, mom, sister, friend, pet parent, animal lover, social scientist, and former medicine developer. Much of my professional work focused on patients’ experiences, beginning in a diabetic consulting clinic while I earned my PhD. Travels to Asia, Europe, and Canada during the early days of the AIDS pandemic further heightened my determination to connect patients and health professionals in closer dialogue around well-being. The medicines I helped create were influenced by patients’ reports on their quality of life, considerations around benefits versus risks of treatments, and the challenges of navigating medical systems.
As I approached retirement, the lessons came home while I cared for a cancer patient and simultaneously became one. Every step has made life, love, faith, and friendship more meaningful. A zeal for life in all of its richness is what I seek to share in my writing. May you likewise find your joy.
