Born and raised on a 47-acre dairy farm in the Driftless region of southwestern Wisconsin, my roots go deep, about five generations deep.

I now live one mile from Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands with my husband, two children, pair of guinea pigs, nine Siberian huskies, one malamute, an unidentified mastiff-like house dog the size of a small pony and a pond full of goldfish.

I anticipate the publication of my book about a 1,700-mile canoe journey in the next year.

I've written about education, the arts, environment, genetics and the outdoors — and what has drawn me to them all are the great stories. I love researching and writing rich, complicated pieces. And in recent years, I've taken great pleasure from teaching others to find and tell their stories, as well.

I am available for assignment work and for leading workshops.

So... what’s your story?

4-23-2012
Dreaming 3-D Dinosaur Cakes & Smoking Volcanoes
Nothing about my twenties — a time of intellectual exploration and feminist realization — could have indicated what would happen in my forties. If my 20-something self knew of the nights I lie awake thinking not of Che Guevera or revolution but of how to turn to cake rounds into kid-pleasing shapes, she would have rolled her eyes right out of my head. Read more »