She received a doctorate of arts in creative writing from the State University of New York at Albany, a master of fine arts in creative writing from the University of Virginia, and a bachelor of arts from Oberlin College. She received an Honorable Mention from the Academy of American Poets, and an Oberlin fellowship for women writers. Her poems have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, and have been nominated for the AWP Intro Journals Project and the Pushcart Prize. She has given local poetry readings as well as readings at the New York State Women's Studies Conference and the South Central Modern Language Association Conference. She has also assisted at a Texas prison in submitting students' work for publication, and given creative writing workshops for senior citizens, homeless teenagers and children in an after-school arts program.