As part of my academic life, I occasionally present papers and research. I’ve also freelanced a bit in nonfiction and reviewing over the years, which you can find below.
professional memberships
MFA Hamline University, Writing for Children & Young Adults [2022]
B.S. English/Creative Writing Indiana State University [2009]
Member of SCBWI
Member of Sisters in Crime National, SINC Chicagoland, & SINC Guppies
Member of Mystery Writers of America National & MWA Midwest
Publications
Creative Nonfiction
“Here in the Land of the Living,” The Way Back 2 Ourselves, To the Mountains, forthcoming
“When Wonder Sings,” Calla Press, Living in Wonder, Spring 2025
Fiction
“Niahm’s Song,” forthcoming form Twenty Hills Press
Poety
“On Loreshire Gardens,” Holy Shovels: Poems on Creed and Creation, 2025
“Creation” Euphemism, Volume 8.1, 2018
“Cleaning the Tank,” Euphemism, Volume 8.1, 2018
Awards
Scholarship from Hawthornden Foundation & Highlights Foundation to attend
“Writing through Trauma & Grief: a Retreat for Storytellers” 2025“Penelope’s Library” short story long listed in the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation Writing Competition, 2024
presentations & papers
Hamline University Winter Residency, January 2022
Presented Creative Thesis: “Trowel and Trouble: A Ruby Eloise Mystery”Hamline University Winter Residency, January 2021
Presented Critical Thesis: “Taking Care of Reader: The Art of Murder in Middle Grade Mysteries”The Writer’s Nook Virtual Conference, 2021
Presented “Coming to Terms with Your Inner Writer”
NCTE Annual Convention “¡Confluencia! Songs of Ourselves,” 2020
Accepted to co-facilitate panel titled “New Entrances to Critical Lens Work Through Young Adult Literature, Film and Picture Books”AISLE and IATE “Together We Can” Conference, 2019
Co-facilitated panel titled “Critical Choices: Awakening Students' Enthusiasm for Reading the World”English Studies at Large Conference, Illinois State University, 2013
Presented paper: “Mashing up YA Lit: How Genre Blending Challenges and Creates Readers”
podcasts
Guest interviews
Spark Creativity Episode 196: “How Caitlin’s Verse Novel Clubs Engaged Seniors ‘Til the End”
Spark Creativity Episode 275: “Teaching Sci-Fi and Fantasy (The Elective Series)”
Teach 4 the Heart Episode 305: Adding Joy + Play into Any Classroom
Freelance
Cake N Whiskey Magazine Sip & Slice Blog columnist, 2015
Cedar & Soul contributor, 2015
“Healing Movement: He Set My Feet to Dancing”
“Blooms Among the Ash”
“Wild Romance: Alive and Whispering” [poetry]
“The Year of the Good Stuff”
Cozy Orange Blog, contributor, 2014
“To Show Up”
“Fearlessly Flying”
Kid Lit Exchange, 2018
Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner [young adult]
The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange [middle grade]
This is Not a Valentine by Carter Higgins [picture book]
Nerdy Book Club, guest contributor, 2014-2017
Over the Moon magazine, columnist, 2014-2015
“How to Imagine Your Way Out of Writer’s Block”
“I Wish I Had Her Job”
“How to Date Yourself”
“Open Your Heart Through Yoga”
“Remembering the True Meeting of Christmas”
“A Moment of Bliss: DIY Holiday Mochas”
“Meeting God on the Mat”