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| Key West is the last tiny island in a string of tiny islands off the coast of Florida. The Florida Keys are a unique subtropical ecosystem with an astounding variety of marine and terrestrial life. But this fragile environment is struggling under the weight of over-development, overfishing, pollution, and global warming. Key West boasts an artistic, literary, and culinary scene rivaling much larger cities. Several famous writers put in serious time here, including Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Robert Frost, Shel Silverstein, and Elizabeth Bishop. I have authored a book-length travel guide about Key West, geared toward first-time visitors to the island: KEY WEST: A Comprehensive Guide to Florida's Southernmost City |
I always loved novels, but I fell in love with theater and poetry as a teenager in New Hampshire, when I spent two summers interning and performing with the AMERICAN STAGE FESTIVAL...I was never the same after Shakespeare!
I attended EMERSON COLLEGE in Boston with a major in Theater and a minor in Creative Writing, but dropped out after sophomore year and moved to New York City. I lived in lower Manhattan for twelve years. During that time, I tended bar at LUCKY CHENG'S in the East Village (where I met my husband who was the Chef) and graduated "with Honors" from the NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH with a B.A. in Creative Writing & Literature.
After graduating, I worked in the Scouting Department of SANFORD J. GREENBURGER ASSOCIATES LITERARY AGENCY while freelance writing on the side. In my spare time, I volunteered with RABBIT RESCUE AND REHAB, and in the "Exotics" room of the Harlem SPCA.
My husband, Andrew, and I moved from NYC to Key West in February of 2005. We briefly owned a restaurant called POMPANO showcasing my husband's culinary talents. Sadly, it didn't survive long after 2005's devastating hurricane season.
After the closing of our Key West restaurant, I decided to devote myself to local wildlife. I found work at the WILDLIFE RESCUE OF THE FLORIDA KEYS, then moved on to become Operations Manager for the KEY WEST WILDLIFE CENTER. Next, I worked as an aquarist and tour guide at the KEY WEST AQUARIUM for a year and a half, but continued volunteering in the wildlife hospital of the KWWC. Briefly, I was a butterfly curator at the KEY WEST BUTTERFLY AND NATURE CONSERVATORY.
I dabble in local theater too. I've performed in theater projects for the RED BARN THEATRE, PEOPLE'S THEATER OF KEY WEST, and STUDIOS OF KEY WEST.
Click on subheadings in the browser up top for more details about my work with local wildlife and my writing. 
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