Ph.D. in literature, Louisiana State University, May 1998

Dissertation
"American Medusa, American Sphinx: The Female Gaze and Knowledge in Modern Fiction and Film."
Uses novels by Faulkner, Fitzgerald, and Larsen and films directed by Hitchcock, Malick, Sirk, Fitzmaurice, Stahl, Kazan, and Welles to argue, first, that feminist film theory is a tool well adapted to analyzing literary texts and, second, that the gaze is not necessarily singular or male; instead, it is a site of complex negotiations informed by gender, race, sexual orientation, age, and class.

Committee
Elsie Michie (director), Richard Moreland, Robin Roberts, and David Wills

M.F.A. in poetry, Louisiana State University, 1992

Thesis
"Difficult Beauties: Poems"

Committee
Dave Smith (director), Vance Bourjaily, Rodger Kamenetz, and Emily Toth

M.A. in English and creative writing, San Francisco State University, 1983

Thesis
"Possible Worlds: Poems"

Directors
Kathleen Fraser and William Dickey

Research
Twentieth-century American literature (poetry and fiction ), film theory, feminist theory

Teaching Experience
American literature, creative writing (poetry, fiction, drama, nonfiction, autobiography, screenwriting), women's studies, composition, publishing (book and magazine)

Textual Introduction. Kate Chopin's Private Papers. Eds. Emily Toth, et al. Bloomington: Indiana UP, forthcoming in 1998.

"A Gaze Unbecoming: Schooling the Child for Femininity in Days of Heaven. Wide Angle 16.4 (1994): 5-22.

"'Play' within a Play: Gaming with Language in Requiem for a Nun." The Faulkner Journal 8.1 (1992): 43-59. (Published summer 1994)

"'Neither Black nor White' but Certainly a Daughter: Identity in Films of Racial Passing." Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association Conference, Scripps College, Claremont, CA.

"Imitation of White: Femininity and Spectacle in Imitation of Life." Center for Humanities and Arts, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA.

"Jane Campion's Two Friends: A Habit of Compassion." Women's History Month Celebration, The University of Georgia.

"I Tell Ya, It's a Whole Different Sex: Re-gendering Some Like It Hot." Society for Cinema Studies National Conference, Dallas, TX.

"The 'Built-in Motor': Lessons of Cross-Dressing in Some Like It Hot." National Popular Culture Association Conference, New Orleans, LA. (Co-chair of panel)

"White Dresses, Bare Feet, and Anonymous Letters from the Patriarchy: William Faulkner's 'There Was a Queen.'" Graduate Student Conference on Languages and Literature, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA.

1997-98
Lecturer, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Claire Denis's Chocolat, Feminist Ethnography
Julie Dash's Daughters of the Dust, Feminist Ethnography
Literary editing, Georgia Scholastic Press Association, School of Journalism

1993-95
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
"Major American Writers" English 2070
"Introduction to Poetry Writing" English 2007
"Freshman Composition" English 1001

1987-89
Instructor, Creative Writing, San Jose City College, San Jose, CA
Fundamentals of Creative Writing" English 72 A-C

1983-89
Instructor, English, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, CA
Comprehensive writing review

1987-88
Instructor, Creative Writing, Skyline College, San Bruno, CA
"Creative Writing I & II" English 161 AA-AC
"Writing Your Autobiography" English 880 (new course design)

1983-88
Instructor, Creative Writing, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
"Fundamentals of Creative Writing" Creative Writing 301 (course for majors)
"Introduction to Creative Writing" Creative Writing 101 (course for non-majors)
"Directed Writing" Creative Writing 609 (course for undergraduates)
"Projects in Creative Writing" Creative Writing 809 (course for graduates)

1983-86
Instructor, Expository Writing, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
"Introduction to Composition" Expository Writing 110 (sections for international students and native speakers)
"Intermediate Composition" Expository Writing 200
"Forms of Public Writing" Expository Writing 211
Writing Center instructor

1982-83
Graduate English Tutor, Golden Gate University, San Francisco, CA
Specializing in business writing and cross-cultural communication

1985-91
Poet/Consultant
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
Designed and lead workshops in the galleries, exploring poetry writing as a response to visual art, comparing visual artist's process to poet's.

1983-89
Poet/Teacher
California Poets in the Schools

1995-2000
Assistant Editor, The Georgia Review, The University of Georgia
Editing a quarterly journal of poems, stories, essays, and reviews with a circulation of 6,000 and submissions of 15,000 manuscripts per year. Responsibility for screening, soliciting, developing, and copyediting manuscripts in all genres. Planning, coordinating, and publicizing a reading series, residencies for visiting artists, and fiftieth anniversary readings and celebration. Writing and maintaining journal's Web site and resolving problems with lost, misplaced, and delayed submissions.

1990-93
Research Assistant for Emily Toth, Louisiana State University
Researched references in Kate Chopin's diaries and letters. Developed editorial methodology and transcribed Chopin's manuscript submission diary. Administered annual Toth Award for Popular Culture Association.

1990-93
Writer
Louisiana State University Press

1990-92
Editor-in-Chief, New Delta Review, Louisiana State University
Edited biannual literary journal with international submissions and distribution. Responsible for production, budget, fund-raising, distribution, publicity, organization of benefit readings, and supervision of staff. Served as poetry editor for one year.

1991-92
Resource Coordinator, Louisiana State University
Coordinated development of new Women's and Gender Studies Program, including supervision of student workers. Steering committee member and curator of Women's Studies collection.

Creative Writing Coordinator
Graduate Student Conference on Languages & Literature, Louisiana State University

1981
Grant Writer for Deborah Rosenfelt, San Francisco State University
Researched and developed grant materials for the Chancellor's Maxi-Grant, "Cross-Cultural Perspectives in the Curriculum."

Freelance Editor and Proofreader, Los Angeles, CA
Edited trade books and textbooks for such companies as Harper & Row and Jossey-Bass.

1998
Phi Kappa Phi

1995
Second prize, Society for Cinema Studies Award for Scholarly Writing

1989-93
Alumni Federation Fellowship, Louisiana State University

1992
First prize, Academy of American Poets Contest, Louisiana State University

1982
First Prize, Academy of American Poets Contest, San Francisco State University