Welcome to my Writing Page!
I didn’t grow up knowing I would be a writer, but I did grow up being a reader. I was a quiet, rule-following kid, but I used to get in trouble for rushing through my school assignments so I could get back to my book. Such a rebel!!
Features are articles I have written over the years. Feel free to browse!
Profiles are the kind of writing I like best. Check out these cool people I got to meet and chat with! Ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It makes for great reading!
Tip A Canoe And Concrete, Too
Proposed decades ago by a UI professor, an improbable idea still stays afloat Illinois Alumni magazine April 2013 The genius emanating from the University of Illinois fills many pages in the book of...
Mike Rose Believes in Second Chances
NCTE Council Chronicle March 2013 Mike Rose has a message for teachers working with struggling students: keep the faith, because your effort really does pay off far down the road. “You’ll be...
Victor Villanueva
Bringing His Unique Perspective to the SWR NCTE Council Chronicle March 2013 Victor Villanueva is energetic and enthusiastic when talking about his new role as editor of the Studies in Writing and...
“Oh, The Places You’ll Go …”
Alumni Association marks a half-century of alumni travel Illinois Alumni magazine December 2012 Ever dream of watching wildebeests graze the Serengeti? Cooking in Italy? Whitewater rafting, swimming...
Arizona Bans Mexican American Studies Program
“It was never about what we were doing, it was about who we are.” NCTE Council Chronicle September 2012 The Mexican American Studies (MAS) program in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) had...
The LED is Ubiquitous — But Its Home Is Illinois
Ever since UI professor Nick Holonyak created a light-emitting diode, the world's been a brighter - and better - place Illinois Alumni magazine September 2012 From headlights and traffic lights to...
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Thank you for signing up for my newsletter! Every month I’ll send a new post sharing my thoughts on writing — especially children’s non-fiction — and creativity, posting writing prompts, discussing my favorite middle grade authors and more.