I grew up in a smallish town close to where Texas, the Gulf Coast, and Louisiana come together -- the French-speaking, swampy part of Texas. I lived in Texas, New York, South Carolina, and Massachusetts before moving to Denver and then Colorado Springs five years ago. Most of my career I've worked as a teacher, teaching most recently at the Air Force Academy and Johnson & Wales University in Denver. I have four kids, ranging in age from 10 to 26, and two large dogs. I like to hike, backpack, mountain bike, and snowshoe.

I'm weirdly good at darts; I played football in high school; I paid my rent for four months by writing movie reviews; I spend a bit too much time thinking about traditional forms of American music; I aspire to play guitar.

• Ph.D. in American Literature, University of South Carolina
• Bachelor of Arts in English, University of Texas, Austin