I grew up listening to the stories of my aunts and uncles, master
storytellers who could shape the most ordinary event into a spellbinding narrative. Even at a young age I knew that I would have to find a way to surround myself with narratives. So I became an English major. I earned my B.A. degree at Guilford College, where I double majored in English and Philosophy, and my M.A. and Ph.D. in English (with a concentration in modern literature) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

I am a Professor in English in the Department of Literature and Languages at Christian Brothers University with research interests in Southern American Literature. In addition to teaching Composition and Introduction to Literature, I also teach Southern American Literature, Modern Novel, Modern Drama, Contemporary Literature, and Women in Literature.