Birthplace:  Birmingham, Alabama  (blue-collar princess)

Bachelors Degree:  AUBURN UNIVERSITY, B.F.A. 1977 (cum laude and the time of my life!)

Late 70's through 1994:  Resident of NYC, NY - professional dancer/theatre and fitness instructor (yes, I did go to Studio 54) and intense time served as paralegal at killer NYC firm (paralegal certification via Marymount Manhattan College - Continuing Ed. division), then relocation to Chicago to pursue Masters Degree in '94

Masters Degree:  NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, English/Literature - 1999.  Special focus on 20th century literature, comedy and character

Composition instructor from 1999-2003 in Chicago:  Harold Washington College (City College System), Loyola University and Northeastern Illinois University

Summer of 2003 - escape to the tropics, St. Pete, FL - to continue composition instruction, here  at beloved SPC (thank you Evelyn Finklea) and also at USF from 04-spring 09.  The ride continues . . .

Teaching philosophy:   1. TOO MUCH RESTRAINT CERTAINLY IS A MISTAKE!  (loose quote from Alfred de Musset) and   2. " Acting should be bigger than life. Scripts should be bigger than life. It should all be bigger than life. "   (direct quote from the fabulous Bette Davis)

FASCINATIONS:  The way Nadal plays tennis and Tom Brady played football, Madonna, my students, Mozart, Gershwin, "miller time", Thai food and Steak N' Shake, CNN, random trainwreck reality TV ( "Rock of Love" ) , outdoor workouts, Salman Rushdie, David Sedaris and Gore Vidal, cold cities, hot towns, fierce dance, part-time desperation jobs, road trips, comedy, absurdity and anything that is Keanu Reeves.