Mystery Writer & Poet
Completed manuscript for legal thriller The Best Offense. Currently working on a new mystery, Burn Baby Burn, and a collection of poems.
Residencies
Wellstone Center in the Redwoods, Santa Cruz, California (Wellstone Fellowship) May 2019
Can Serrat, Barcelona, Spain (Artist Stipend) May 2013
Can Serrat, Barcelona, Spain (Artist Stipend) June 2010
Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, Vermont (4 week Artist Fellowship) January 2009
Honors & Exhibitions
2018 - Finalist, Pacific Northwest Writers' Association Literary Contest, Mystery/Thriller
2018 - Novel-in-Progress Finalist, William Faulkner/William Wisdom Competition (Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society, New Orleans, LA)
2017 - Winner, Action/Thriller, The Colorado Gold Writing Contest/Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers
2017 - Novel-in-Progress Finalist (Short List), William Faulkner/William Wisdom Competition (New Orleans)
2016 – Finalist, Writers League of Texas Manuscript Contest (Mystery)
2016 – Novel Finalist, William Faulkner/William Wisdom Competition – Words & Music Competition (Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society, New Orleans)
2015 – Novel in Progress Finalist (Short List), William Faulkner/William Wisdom Competition – Words & Music Competition (New Orleans)
2015 – Participating Artist, 5 x 7, The Contemporary Austin (art museum)
2014 – Finalist, Writers League of Texas Manuscript Contest (Thriller)
2012 – Poetry Finalist, William Faulkner/William Wisdom Competition – Words & Music Conference (Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society, New Orleans)
2012 – Honorable Mention, Houston Writers Guild Genre Contest
2011 – Telephone Project (Group Exhibition – writers and visual artists), The Dirty Dirty Gallery/Artspace (Brooklyn, New York)
2009 – Special Opportunities Grant for Individual Artist, City of Austin/Cultural Arts Division
2009 – Finalist, Writers League of Texas Manuscript Contest
2008 – Finalist, Writers League of Texas Manuscript Contest
2007 – Honorable Mention, SEAK 6th Annual National Fiction Writing Competition for Lawyers
Organizations
Writers’ League of Texas
Sisters in Crime/Heart of Texas Chapter
Mystery Writers of America
Seminars
Advanced Craft/Critique Workshop – Writers’ League of Texas
Funding Your Work - Creative Capital Professional Development
MWA-U (Mystery Writers of America University)
Novel in Progress Seminar, Writers’ League of Texas
Conferences
Writers’ Police Academy
Bouchercon
New England Crime Bake
Writers’ League of Texas - Agents and Editors
Mystery Writers of America – Southwest
Pacific Northwest Writers Association Conference
Employment
Director of Institutional Giving 2011 - present
Foundation Communities, Austin, Texas
Writing: grants, publicity, articles, and education materials on affordable housing, homelessness, and related issues; staff grants workshops
Manager of Government and Foundation Relations 2008 - 11
Austin Museum of Art, Austin, Texas
Writing: grants, reports, strategic plans, publicity, media, and text for museum exhibitions and catalogues.
Faculty Member, The Art School 2009
Austin Museum of Art, Austin, Texas
Taught special workshop on creativity and collaboration, language and photography, based on the exhibition Chuck Close: A Couple Ways of Doing Something
Lyricist 2002 - 09
Songwriter for Norwegian rock band (modern melodic metal)
Grant Writer for Nonprofit Agencies 2007 - 08
Grant writing and strategic planning for: Faith in Action Caregivers (services for older adults); Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (health care for Austin’s low income musicians); SIMS Foundation (mental health care for musicians and families)
Special Projects 2005 - 07
St. David’s Foundation -
Capacity building for Foundation grant recipients (strategic plans, budgets, grant writing); writer for Foundation (grants, newsletters, communications)
Freelance Writer 1999 – 01
Online reviews of restaurants and music venues
Other Experience
Assistant Principal and Project Facilitator
J. Houston Elementary School, Austin Independent School District
Administrator with large urban public Title I elementary school
Developed bilingual education materials, writing projects with students
Attorney, Political Asylum Project of Austin
Emergency immigration applications for Honduran hurricane refugees
Civil Litigation in California (summary of experience)
All aspects of civil litigation, including discovery, law and motion, settlements and trial preparation
Drafted decisions, orders, memoranda, and correspondence; conducted legal research; acted as liaison between judges, attorneys, and parties
Areas: labor and employment law, arts and copyright law, general civil litigation
Education
Doctorate of Jurisprudence, Golden Gate University School of Law
Bachelor of Arts, Michigan State University
Community Activities
Pan American Round Table: women’s philanthropic organization that promotes friendship and fellowship in the Americas
Masters Swimmer:
Western Hills Athletic Club, Longhorn Aquatics, Austin Aquatics
National Top 20 (50 and 100 breaststroke events)
Languages: English, Italian, some Spanish