SCHOOL

Once upon a time I went to Paoli Elementary School, where there was a tall rock wall next to the kindergarten classrooms. We were supposed to play on the swings and slide nearby, but it was more fun to climb the wall, fitting our small hands between the rocks and mortar.

After that I went to the Schuylkill School, Phoenixville Area Junior High, and the Hill School--talk about climbers! For more on the Hill, and what it means to go there, try Tobias Wollf's This Boy's Life.

One thing about prep schools, they do help you get into decent colleges. I went to Swarthmore College, where I majored in Art History, temporarily held the school record in the 400 yard I.M., and played bridge. Oh, and I went to class. I had several wonderful teachers, some of them professors. If you go, say "Howdy!" to Michael Cothren, and if she still teaches it, take Kaori Kitao's cinema class.

Six years after I graduated from Swats, I made it back to school at SUNY Binghamton--or Binghamton University, if you believe the sign. I stayed at Binghamton for my Ph.D. in Creative Writing, because of my wonderful teachers, my wonderful friends, and my wonderful students. If you go to SUNY, be sure to take classes with Liz Rosenberg, Phil Rogers, Bill Spanos, and Jack Vernon.

WORK

For starters, you can look at my curriculum vita--you don't even have to give me candy. Besides writing and teaching, I worked for Michelfelders, Encore Books, Al E. Gator's, the Guardhouse, La Fourchette, C.D. Bink's and Apropos in and around Philadelphia--ah, the lost years--Dion's and the Bookbridge in Binghamton, Barnes & Noble in Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh, and Chatham, CCAC and Pitt in Pittsburgh. I currently teach English at The Friends School of Baltimore.

LIFE

I live in Baltimore, Maryland with my three cats.

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