Her research specializes in 20th century Midwestern writers, including figures such as Ernest Hemingway, Dawn Powell, Josephine Herbst, and John Herrmann. She is a past president of the Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature and an editorial board member of Middle West Review and the Dictionary of Midwestern Literature, Volume II (forthcoming 2016 from Indiana University Press). She holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, and a master's degree in literature from Minnesota State University, Mankato and a Ph.D. in English from Kent State University.