I am the Chair of the Creative Writing Program at Long Beach City College (LBCC).  I teach composition, literature, and creative writing classes in the English Department.  I have been a full-time composition instructor since 2005. Before that, I taught at LBCC and Fullerton College as an adjunct faculty member.

I graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a B.A. in English Literature.  While I was there, I studied Creative Writing with Aimee Bender, an American novelist and short story writer, known for her surreal stories and characters. I also participated in a Community Outreach Program run by Bender through UC Irvine teaching Creative Writing to 2^nd graders at a local elementary school.  Lastly, I graduated from Chapman University with an M.A. in English Literature and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing.  At Chapman I studied with Jim Blaylock, an American fantasy author noted for a distinctive, humorous style as well as being one of the pioneers of the steampunk genre of science fiction, and Gordon McAlpine, the Edgar Award nominated author of numerous acclaimed novels.

In 2007, I approached LBCC Prof. Emeritus Frank Gaspar about becoming the chair of the Creative Writing program.  With his mentorship and blessing, I became the Creative Writing Program Chair and have continued in this role for 14 years.  In that time, we have invited numerous authors to our Writer’s Reading Series, presented the Drury Award to several students, hosted a full day conference called The Literary Voice, established our own literary publication, Saga, and created a supportive and invigorating writing community at LBCC.

I am passionate about creative writing and the arts and believe that I can make a difference with students not only in our writing community but also in the larger Long Beach community.  To me, nothing heals the soul like putting words on paper.  Creative Writing is a craft that requires much discipline and hard work, but the rewards can be cathartic and are worth the effort.

I am currently working on a creative non-fiction book detailing my experience of being diagnosed with Stage 3B colon cancer five weeks before my wedding, and I will be going on sabbatical in Spring 2022 to finish the book.

I invite you to peruse our course offerings and to try one of our Creative Writing courses!  Feel free to contact me with any questions about our program.