Greetings, I’m a writer and performance artist living in the tranquil beauty of Northeast Wisconsin. My art explores the social impact of war on the American female soldier and is frequently based on the several years I spent in Iraq as an Army broadcast journalist, and then as a State Department press officer. Like many veterans, coming home was tumultuous for me, and I turned to the VA medical system for help. And like many other veterans, I was subjected to a mind-numbing barrage of drugs in lieu of actual therapy.

Thanks to my ‘battle buddies’ from Iraq, my family, and my service dog Timothy, I emerged from this Kafkaesque interlude with a passion for using art not only as personal therapy, but for sharing my experiences with audiences in general. With a BA in Literature, and a MA in Creative Writing, expressing myself in words has always been a passion for me. My published works focus on the quotidian life of everyday soldiers in a combat zone, and the challenges they face when returning home. My play “Lawn Ornaments,” a social commentary on a veteran’s experience at a flagship VA hospital, was selected as a finalist for the Bridge Award for Playwriting in 2022.

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More recently, I was exposed to the power of visual and performance art in storytelling narratives through a summer fellowship with CreatiVets, a program for disabled combat veterans. This led to three intensive years of study and studio practice at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where I was awarded an MFA in 2022. Last year, I was invited to be an Artist-in-Residence by Reach at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. Not all has been roses though. My faithful service dog and companion Timothy passed away this year at the glorious age of 14, and I am still processing his loss and how to honor him for enabling much of what I’ve accomplished. In the meantime – check out my portfolio.