National writing championships award winner! I am humbled, excited, and honored to receive this First Place Award from the National Federation of Press Women.
Honorable Mention, for my personal narrative published essay is a distinction. Thank you to the National Federation of Press Women and to the Connecticut Press Club.
Hollywood director, C.M. Conway, asked me to share my true story on her podcast promoting her indie film and inspiring artists everywhere to defy the odds and keep going. Please give it a listen! You can leave a review on Apple/iTunes and can mention my episode if you like.
Photo credit: Dariusz Kanarek
Photo credit: Arne Heitmann
Welcome to my website:
I’m an award-winning author, storyteller, artist, and educator. My compelling call-to-action is creating personal experience narratives with universal and inspiring themes. I’m a memorable speaker through the art and craft of true storytelling, to online and live audiences. In tandem, I’m a Poet-in-Residence in schools with Silvermine Art Partners.
Winner in the 2023 National Federation of Press Women Professional Communications Contest, 2X!
Web and Social Media – Personal Website: First Place
Writing – Personal Essay: Honorable Mention
Winner in the 2022 Connecticut Press Club Communications Contest, 4X!
Personal Essay: First Place
Personal Website: First Place
Speeches: Second Place and Third Place
Visual Storytelling
Connecticut Press Club Award Winner Third Place – Speeches: My 2022 PechaKucha presentation, “Art Saved My Life: Journey of a Lifetime” is published on the international platform. Please be advised that it is a powerful discussion with adult content about healing and transformation. It’s 6min/40sec with the spoken word and images. View and listen here.
My 2021 PechaKucha visual story “Creativity is the Mother of Reinvention.” View and listen on the global website here.
“Awesome and Awe-inspiring PechaKucha. Your story is so powerful and the images are amazing.”
from a 2022 PechaKucha visual storytelling viewer
(More testimonials)
Connecticut Press Club Award Winner Second Place – Speeches: Watch my 2022 sermon/homily “A.R.T.: Action, Reflection, Transformation” presented live at The Unitarian Church in Westport, CT, here. (13:26-41:01)
Writing
Connecticut Press Club Award Winner First Place – Personal Essay: I write personal narrative non-fiction essays and poems. I am published in books and anthologies. Most recently, I’m a contributing author in Animals: Personal Tales of Encounters with Spirit Animals published by Sacred Stories Publishing. My story is on page 133, “Overcoming Fear With Help From the Whales.” Available at your favorite bookstore or online.
~ Darien Library, Darien, CT asked me to create and give a presentation on promoting yourself as a writer, you can watch it and take notes here.
Art
My fine art: I’m currently working in photography, video essays, printmaking, and mixed media. With a fine art career spanning half a century, I’ve created both realistic and abstract images. I’ve worked in personal narratives examining identity, love and relationships, coming of age, self-acceptance, and transformation. I get bored easily so I have a lot of projects going at the same time.
Three of my lithographs and engravings were recently juried into the “Responding to the Overturn of ROE V WADE Anthropology of Motherhood” virtual exhibition. You can view this powerful artist call to action here. I am honored to have my art included. While I created the prints several years ago, their powerful messages resonate today.
~ Watch and listen to my Gallery Talk at the Carriage Barn Arts Center, Spectrum Contemporary Juried Art Exhibition, New Canaan, CT here.
~ Check out my art video essay for the Bridgeport, CT Public Schools, Arts Count Day, here.
~ Be inspired by watching my video about my creative process of making clay monoprints here.
