Every writer I know loves the question "What is your ideal reading experience?"

A good book, a chair by the fireplace, and my dog Duke: I can't imagine anything better. Duke is my preferred reading partner because he knows how to respond to "I didn't see that coming!" or "I love this part, don't you, Duke?" or "Should we stop here for tonight?"

When I'm with a book that I enjoy, I feel as though I'm with a friend, as though the words on the page connect me to the writer the way letters once connected people across time and place. I learn by watching great writers do unexpected things with dialog and description and story development. My favorite writers have shaped my imagination and decisions. I celebrate their books in my blog A Fine Line, which I’ve written since 2013. A few times each month, I point out something that I really like in a post about a book that I’m reading.

I also share my love of good books in classrooms. It is so much fun to see my college students get interested in a piece of good writing. I specialize in teaching memoir, which the English Department calls “Personal Narrative” and the Creative Writing program calls “Creative Nonfiction.” In my workshops for the adult continuing education program, we call it “Writing about Your Life.”

I have loved this genre ever since my grandfather wrote a book about his life when he was 79 years old and I was a college student. I was his typist. I have used stories from his book ever since to show how “a regular person” can create a legacy that future generations find illuminating and enjoyable.

Readers, Writers, Friends: May we meet someday! Comment on my blog, join a workshop, or meet me at a conference. Here’s to whatever lies ahead for us!