I began writing when I was in fourth grade and have written poetry, academic criticism and, more recently, speculative fiction. I teach Literature at Grand Valley State University in Allendale,Michigan. I love writing, love stories, love to read, and to create readable stories. My speculative and literary fiction has appeared in publications in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Israel, Europe, and Asia. I have published over 300 poems, 140 stories, two novellas, and a novel. Writing is my lifeblood and my quest for answers. Stories are mirrors by which we see ourselves and a crystal through which we come to know others. My writing opens doors.