About Me

In addition to hopefully being the writer, writing coach, copy editor, or translator you're looking for, I'm...

...an American in Paris. Born in the US (New Jersey, to be precise), I fell in love with the City of Light when I came here on a school trip at the age of 13. It wasn't easy, but through luck, hard work, and love, I was able to make my dream of living in Paris come true. I've been here since 2006, and it still feels like the most magical place in the world.

...a fiction writer - Some of my earliest memories include writing stories in notebooks. I published my novel, Hearts at Dawn, in April 2021. You can learn more about it here.



...a blogger. I write about all sorts of things, including life in Paris, history, books, grief, weird places and events, and being a mom. Before the site's unfortunate shutdown in 2015, my blog on Open Salon got hundreds to thousands of hits per post. And most importantly, I made friends and connected with readers - a blogger's dream. I've set up a new home at Medium.com, where you can read my latest posts and some old ones I've re-posted as well.

...a traveler. There are lots of things I love about travel (and a few things I don't). My favorite thing is discovering unusual places or forgotten traces of history. On a recent trip back to America, for example, I was so excited to get to see Grip, a stuffed raven who was once Charles Dickens' pet, and who became the inspiration for two 19th century literary works: Dickens' novel Barnaby Rudge, and Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven". Other recent favorites include checking out the 18th century wax anatomical models at La Specola in Florence, Italy; marveling at the sight of Le Mont-Saint-Michel; and taking a stroll through the Tourtoirac Cave.

Striking a thoughtful pose with Grip at the Free Library of Philadelphia.


...fluent in French. I've been speaking, reading, and writing French for most of my adult life.

...an antiques collector. Lots of objects from bygone eras fill me with wonder, including old photographs, which I collect. Here's one of my favorites:

...a mom. Parenting isn't always easy (Hell is not other people, but potty training), but my son and I do have a lot of fun.



...an art lover. I haunt museums and launch into rhapsodies when I see works by artists I love. If I could, I'd probably live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, like the kids in the novel From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

...a voracious reader. My favorite book is A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, but I'll read just about anything, in just about any genre. Some books I've enjoyed recently include: Pure by Andrew Miller; Les Fiancés de l'hiver by Christelle Dabos; and Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport by Matthew Alego.

...fascinated by history. In particular, the Belle-Epoque, the Siege of Paris, the Paris Commune, eccentric historical figures, the evolution of cities like Paris and New York, and details of everyday life in the past. Old almanacs are one of my favorite ways to learn about how people lived more than a century ago.


...a movie fan - My favorite movies are Lola Rennt (Run Lola Run), Edward Scissorhands, Rushmore, and Mary Poppins. What are yours?

...harboring a secret longing to be a circus performer. Unfortunately, I'm far too clumsy for this dream to ever come true.