I am an avid explorer, and have visited more than 20 countries. I also lived in Asia for 5 years - one year in Turkmenistan, Central Asia and four years in South Korea.

Teaching, writing, and editing are my passions: I've taught English as a Foreign Language and Comparative Law at the university level.

I have a BA in African History and a JD. Currently, I'm in a PhD program in History, with the eventual goal of becoming a professor.

In addition to travel and writing, I am a natural sciences junkie and critter-phile, and I enjoy low-key outdoor sports. I live in Massachusetts with my two cats.

My passion is ...

traveling the world.

I know too much about ...

paleontology (for a non-scientist).

My parents always told me ...

life is short. Have fun!

My childhood ambition ...

was to be an author... Or a vet.

Why I write ...

How could I not write?

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

I'm reading "Apollo's Fire: A Day on Earth in Nature and Imagination" by Michael Sims and "The Ethiopians" by Richard Pankhurst. I am watching DVDs of "Monk" and "My Name is Earl," and listening to The Weepies.

My first job ...

was picking weeds for a neighbor with my sister. 1 penny per plant.

My best moment ...

Getting published for the first time. No, going to Africa for the first time.

My inspiration ...

Madness. That's the only explanation.

Politics, News & Issues > Environment (Other) Enviromental Refugees

1 of 3

Choppy water sloshes up the coral embankment, sending salty waves flooding over a sandy footpath. Simple homes line the narrow walk; palm-tree beams driven into the crushed shells and soft white sand support roofs and walls made of woven palm-frond mats. In the last three years, a number of these homes have been washed away by storm surges; the village faces an ever-increasing onslaught from the Pacific. Time is running out for this land.This is Kiribati, a Pacific Island nation that is among the most vulnerable in the world to the changes brought by global warming. Kiribati (pronounced "ki...

More..

Writing:

• 5Writing Contest Winner
• 1Citizen Journalism Awards
• Marketplace Approved Writer
• 1Marketplace Articles Sold