What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Connections between people. Through the written word, it is possible for me to connect with someone I may never meet face to face. Through shared words, we can cross time and space and connect. Through writing, we can share experience, get beyond ourselves, and learn more about the world and the people around us.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I have spent most of my life in Northern Indiana, mostly on the border between city and country. Being a midwesterner has definitely influenced my generally pragmatic worldview, but I think the specific places I have lived have also given me a balanced appreciation for what is natural and what is man-made, for what is individual and what is social, all of which has appeared in my writing. However, my experiences living elsewhere, including England and the East Coast have given me an even greater appreciation for the breadth of human experience and for the connections between people.
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