ABOUT

I grew up with ten siblings in an Irish-American family on the South Side of Chicago, where the best way to win the room was to tell a good story. At age 11, I won a prize in a poetry contest judged by Gwendolyn Brooks, and then it was off to the races: newspaper reporter, magazine editor, television producer, five-time book author, digital content strategist, and bedtime bard for my three daughters. I relish the opportunity to tell a tale in any medium, but personal essays are my happy place. This is an archive of some of my favorites.