Before teaching I held various slacker and semi-professional jobs in New Orleans and New York including filling sacks of mud and watering plants at a garden center, warehouse clerk, pool cleaner, sales clerk in a French Quarter gift shop, group home counselor (there's a "Made for TV" movie in that experience), waiter (the best job for a college student), word processor for hire, and legal secretary (which clearly illustrated the difference between the haves and the have nots). In short, I've done whatever it takes to pay rent, car insurance, and to fund lavish, gourmet meals of Tuna Helper and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (I too know the joys of carbo-loading – and have heard and answered the call of the Spam).

My educational background? Glad you asked. After earning a B.A from the University of New Orleans, and an M.A. from Hunter College (New York), I earned my Ph.D. from The Graduate Center (New York). If you have some time to spare, you can read my dissertation, Charles Dickens and Nineteenth-Century America, posted on the My Own Work page.

I've been teaching here at OCC for the last five years. My course load has included developmental and college level writing, Introduction to Literature, The Short Story, and creative writing. In the five years preceding my appointment at OCC, I taught a variety of composition and literature courses at Queens College, Queensborough Community College, Manhattan College, and The College of Mt. Saint Vincent, all in New York.

What draws me to teaching (besides, of course, the high pay) is communicating my enthusiasm about writing and literature and thinking (the three are inseparable in my mind) to students and helping them see that literature and writing is relevant to their lives and (gasp!) fun.

In the two or three hours a day when I'm not grading papers and journals or helping a student in my office or responding to email or working on my internet courses, I like to cram in some reading, including magazines -- Newsweek, The Nation (one of the most irritatingly engaging magazines around -- it consistently publishes articles that expose the hypocrisy and collusion between corporate America and our government. At least once an issue it makes me scream "Doesn't anyone care about us blue collar stiffs anymore!!"), Harper's (One of the best general interest magazines -- everything from current art work, to essays, short stories. Our library has it -- one read and you'll be hooked), Funny Times (a collection of cartoons and humorous stories) -- newspapers, and books, books, books (see Reading Lists and OCC Reading Club links on the home page for some favorites). Enjoying the company of my family and friends, playing and listening to music, cooking and eating (pastries and cream sauces are a weakness) round out the remaining minutes of my free time.

Oh yes, I do enjoy occasionally sleeping.

See you in class.