I’ve been creating mixed media collages of one kind or another for most of my life. I’ve always been interested in how it’s possible to take bits of paper from different places and arrange them into something new. It feels like a metaphor for what we do all the time--assembling our different thoughts and feelings and experiences into the life we create each day.
My undergraduate degree is from Harvard, where I studied Medieval History and Literature, mostly because I was obsessed with the Unicorn Tapestries at the Cloisters. While my major has ended up being exactly as useful as I had expected, my collages have given me a new outlet to explore medieval tapestry. Many of my collages borrow subject matter, color palette, and even the act of weaving from these tapestries.
When I’m not making collages, I’m a full-time teacher at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School: middle school English, at the moment, and just about every grade K-8 at some point in the past 25+ years. I’ve also written two fantasy books for middle grade readers: The Secrets of Ms. Snickle’s Class (Clarion, 2001) and Zoo School (Clarion, 2004). My fascination with fairy tales, the mysterious passage of time, and the juxtaposition of reality and fantasy often find their way into my work.