EDUCATION
2004 B. Ed: University of Victoria (with distinction)
2000 B. A: McGill University, English Literature Major
PUBLICATIONS
Books
Khalas/Enough, (chapbook) Gridlock Lit, Fredericton (2025)
Min Hayati, Inanna Publications, York University Press, Toronto, (2021)
Tell Me Everything, (chapbook) Beret Days Press, Ontario Poetry Society, (2015)
Periodicals
The Rumpus, “Ghazal of my Childhood” (forthcoming May 2025)
Protean Magazine, “Khalas is a 6-Letter Word” (Winter 2025)
Geist Magazine, “Righthand Justified” (Volume 32, Winter 2024)
Hippocampus, Hands of a Maker (November 2024)
Room Magazine, “Antiquity in my Hands” (winning essay, Spring 2024)
For Women Who Roar, “From Your Neighbour in the Middle of Nowhere” (April 2024)
So to Speak Journal, “An Invitation to Make Spell Jars” (March 2024)
HerStry, “Milk Teeth” (August 2023)
Literary Mama, “The Smell of Apricots Still Unhinges me” (December 2023)
Wordworks Magazine: Federation of BC Writers, “Revising Expectations for Divergent Thinkers” (Volume III, 2022) https://issuu.com/fbcw/docs/_wordwords_vol_iii_2022_w_hl/16
Matter Press: The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts, “Fortune Teller of Non/Belonging” (October 2022)
Atticus Review, “Mind Games” (August 2022)
WordWorks Magazine, Federation of BC Writers, “Writing as a tool for Transformation” (Volume III, September 2021) https://issuu.com/fbcw/docs/wordwords_fall_21-hyperlinks_v2
The Capilano Review, “Indian Act: Erasure” (August 2017)
R.K.V.R.Y Journal, “Plea” (July 2015)
Anthologies
Songs of Revolution: Poems Against Oppression Anthology, Sunday Mornings at the River Press, “I’m Glad My Mother Did Not Live To See This Day” (February 2024)
Roots to Branches (Volume 1& 2) Federation of BC Writers Contest Anthology, “Parting Gifts” “Seven Years Ago. Today” “The Happiest Baby” (August 2024)
The Amy Award Anthology 2, winning essay “Field Trajectories: A Triptych” selected by Elizabeth Rosner and edited by Alison Wearing (2023)The 2022 Amy MacRae Award Anthology, edited by Alison Wearing (forthcoming)
Elephant Mountain Literary Festival 10th Year Alumni Anthology (July 2021)
Offshoots 13: World Writing From Geneva, ed. Caroline Thonger, Baudat Press, p.35 and p.99, 2015
Seasonings: A year of local flavor in words and recipes, ed. Anne DeGrace, Friesens Press, p. 41, 2010
AWARDS and GRANTS
2024 Pushcart Nomination, ROOM Magazine for “Antiquity in her Hands”
2023 2nd place Winner, ROOM Magazine Creative Nonfiction Contest
2023 Shortlisted, Event Magazine 2023 CNF Contest (Juror, Omar Mouallem)
2023 2nd place Winner, ROOM Magazine Creative Nonfiction Contest (Juror, Taija Isen)
2023 Shortlisted, The Fiddlehead Creative Nonfiction Contest (Juror, Cody Cataeno)
2023 Canada Council of the Arts: Explore and Create Grant (Right Hand Justified manuscript creation and editorial)
2023 BC Arts Council: Project Assistance for Creative Writers Grant (Right Hand Justified first draft creation)
2022 Winner, Federation of BC Writers Literary Contest, CNF category (Juror, Christina Myers)
2022 Winner, International Amy MacRae Award for Memoir (Judge Elizabeth Rosner)
2022 Longlisted, CBC Nonfiction Prize
2022 Canada Council of the Arts: Explore and Create Grant (The Heist/Milk Teeth manuscript revision and substantive edit)
2022 BC Arts Council: Project Assistance for Creative Writers Grant (The Heist/Milk Teeth manuscript completion)
2022 Shortlisted, Event Magazine Non-Fiction Contest 2021 (Juror, David A. Robertson)
2022 Shortlisted, Federation of BC Writers Literary Contest 2021, CNF category (Juror, Chelene Knight)
2022 Shortlisted, Federation of BC Writers Literary Contest 2021, Flash Fiction category (Juror, Urusla Vaira)
2021 Shortlisted, The Fiddlehead Creative Nonfiction Contest (Juror Chelene Knight)
2021 Honourable Mention, Doula Support Foundation, Birth Story Contest
2021 Transforming Landscape with Art and Poetry, Brent Kennedy School, Artist in the Classroom Grant from ArtStarts in Schools with funding from BC Arts Council and the Government of B.C.’s Creative Futures Program
2021 Shadow Puppet Stories at Wildflower School, Artist in the Classroom Grant from ArtStarts in Schools with funding from BC Arts Council and the Government of B.C.’s Creative Futures Program
2020 Columbia Basin Trust Artist Grant (for creation of Leonard Looks Up: A Poetry Invitation Picture Book), funded through the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance.
2020 Transforming Landscape, Salmo Secondary School, Artist in the Classroom Grant from ArtStarts in Schools with funding from BC Arts Council and the Government of B.C.’s Creative Futures Program
2019 Richard Carver Award (Emerging Writer), Nelson, BC
2019 Zoom in to Wonder Project, Wildflower School, Artist in the Classroom Grant from ArtStarts in Schools with funding from BC Arts Council and the Government of B.C.’s Creative Futures Program
2018 Poetry Through a Lens at The Nelson Waldorf School, Creative Spark Grant, ArtStarts funded by Columbia Basin Trust and CKCA
2018 Poetry Alive Project at South Nelson Elementary, Artist in the Classroom Grant from ArtStarts in Schools with funding from BC Arts Council and the Government of B.C.’s Creative Futures Program
2017 Poetry Alive Project at Wildflower School, Hume Elementary and Winlaw School, Artist in the Classroom Grants from ArtStarts in Schools with funding from BC Arts Council and the Government of B.C.’s Creative Futures Program
2016 Columbia Basin Trust Artist Grant (for completion of Min Hayati manuscript), funded through the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, Program 1
2015 Winner of the Golden Grassroots Chapbook Competition, juror Ronnie R. Brown
2015 Third place winner of The Geneva Literary Awards, Creative Non-Fiction, juror Marion Winik
TEACHING
2024- Instructor, The Magic of Memory 1 and 2, Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson
2024- Guest teacher, Memoir Writing Ink, Micro Memoir
2023- Guest teacher, Memoir Writing Ink, The Hermit Crab Essay
2023 Instructor, The Magic of Memory, Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson
2022 Instructor, Fragmented Forms in CNF, Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson
2022 Instructor, 30 Day Poetry Challenge , Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson
2022 Instructor, The Magic of Memory (CNF), Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson
2021 Instructor, 30 Day Poetry Challenge , Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson
2021 Instructor, Be Not Afeard: Beginners Poetry , Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson
2021 Instructor, Poetry Immersion, Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson
2020 Instructor, Resurrecting the Lost Art of Letter Writing, Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson
2019 Instructor, Liminal Life Writing, Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson
2018 Instructor, Writing Memoir I and II, Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson
2017 Instructor, Writing Flash Fiction, Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson
2016- Lead teacher, Creative Writing Club for Teens, Nelson Library
2016 Instructor, Liminal Life Writing II, Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson
2015 Instructor, Liminal Life Writing, Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson
2015- Instructor, Writing Through The Grief, Kalein Hospice, Nelson
2004-2014 French Language Teacher, Nelson Waldorf School
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
2025 Santa Muerte Artist Residency, Santa Rosa Arts Centre, and gallery show at Christina Lake Gallery
2023 Assistant in Alison Wearing’s “Life as Story Memoir Retreat” Tuscany, Italy
2022 Blue Pencil Writer in Residence, Elephant Mountain Literary Festival
2022 Judge/Reader, 2022 Anzaldúa Poetry Prize, Newfound Press
2022 Tin House Winter Workshop selected participant, mentor Aisha Sabatini Sloan
2022 League of Canadian Poets New Members Reading (February, online)
2021 Mentor, Mentorship for Emerging Writers Program, Oxygen Art Centre
2021 Adjudicator for Large Scale Artist in the Classroom Grants, ArtStarts BC.
2021 Book Launch, Min Hayati, Touchstones Museum, Nelson
2021 Reader, Celebrating Local, Elephant Mountain Literary Festival, Nelson
2020 Opening Reading, Chapbook Launch by Leesa Dean, The Royal, Nelson
2019 Award Reading, Elephant Mountain Literary Festival, Nelson
2019 Reading with John Lent, Nelson Public Library, Nelson
2018 Presenter, Opening Gala, Elephant Mountain Literary Festival, Nelson
2018 Moderator, Risk and Resilience Panel, E.M.L. Festival, Nelson
2018 Reading, League of Canadian Poets, Nelson City Council Meeting
2017 Guest Writer, 24 Hour Writing Competition, L.V. Highschool
2017 Guest Writer, Trafalgar Writes, Trafalgar Junior High, Nelson
2016 Guest Writer, UBC Creative Writing Program, Selkirk College, Nelson
2016 Writing for Teens, Girls’ Empowerment Group, Nelson Women’s Center
2016 Poetry for Healing, Death Café Series, Nelson and District Hospice
2016 Tell Me Everything Chapbook launch, Nelson Municipal Library
2015 Facilitator of Life Writing for Seniors, Mountain Lakes Senior’s Home
2015 Poetry Mentor, Middle School Project Days, The Nelson Waldorf School
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
2023- Organizer, Remember the Dead Event, Polka DOt Dragon Arts Society
2021- Member of The League of Canadian Poets
2021- Member of The Federation of BC Writers
2021- Member of The Creative Nonfiction Collective
2018-2021 Board of Directors, Vice-Chair, Kalein Hospice Centre, Nelson
2017- Elephant Mountain Literary Festival, Planning Committee, Nelson
2017- Member of Kootenay Literary Society
2015- Member of Oxygen Art Centre, Nelson
2004- Member of BC Federation of Teachers