ABOUT ME

One of my favorite journalism professors at Northwestern University lived by a mantra: “Be ruthless with your prose.” He would often return our writing assignments awash in green ink, because he felt green was the color of hope. Over the years, as I’ve written thousands of articles for newspapers and other media companies, my professor’s words still resonate. Can I find a punchier verb? Can I make it more concise?

Can I make a scene come to life with more colorful details or dialogue?

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I love interviewing people, learning new things, and putting that information into context in clear and engaging writing. I spent over a decade working at major newspapers across the country, from The San Diego Union-Tribune to The Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune. I’ve written about education, business, courts, crime, housing and sports, many with an investigative focus. My work uncovered a fraudulent housing operation that landed two people in prison. Another series I published shut down a bogus charity that was improperly benefitting from city subsidies.

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After working in newsrooms, I shifted to freelance journalism, pitching ideas about education and health. My freelance writing has been featured by the Center for Investigative Reporting, the Sacramento Bee, San Diego Union-Tribune and Huffington Post.

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Then more recently, I read about the work journalists are doing at MemoryWell, a company that helps write patients’ life stories to improve the quality of their health care. I loved the idea of using my craft to help people, and I wrote for MemoryWell for a couple years. I interviewed patients and wrote short biographical stories to help them be seen and better understood by their caregivers in healthcare organizations. 

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That work inspired me to preserve the life stories of the people close to me in book-length biographies. I wanted my children and future generations to know their family history. I started with my parents, and then my in-laws and it has grown from there. These life stories have jumpstarted conversations and helped build better understanding and deeper bonds. 

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​I find fulfillment in using my journalistic skills to help people tell their life stories. Whether it's someone who has lived a full life or someone whose flame was snuffed out prematurely, I find meaning in capturing the details of a life well lived. I love to memorialize family folklore. I am passionate about giving people a real sense of their family roots and identity.

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If you’ve been thinking about writing your life story but don’t have the time or energy, I can make it happen. Or if you want to help your parents or other loved ones tell their stories, please don’t hesitate to contact me.