I was born in Windsor, Ontario, but raised in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois. A US Army veteran, I served in Germany and Oklahoma. Before attending Loyola University Chicago for my doctorate, I studied at the University of California, Berkeley, where I earned a Bachelor of Arts in English, with High Distinction, in 1994. From 1995 to 2004, I taught English in Istanbul, Turkey. After returning to the US, I attended Northern Illinois University, where I received a Master of Arts in British and American literature in 2007.
While at Loyola, I taught composition courses, tutored in the university’s writing center, and served as its assistant director for the 2009-2010 academic year. At North Central College, I teach first-year composition, advanced writing, literature, and interdisciplinary studies.
In my scholarly and creative work, I aim to rehabilitate the moral as a serious literary and critical category by focusing on how writers use literary devices and techniques to grapple with serious moral problems but avoid moralizing about them.
I pursue numerous other personal and professional interests. I write fiction, and have published short stories in several web-based publications. I have a keen interest in foreign languages, and am proficient in Italian, French, and Turkish---I know some Latin, Spanish, and German as well, even a bit of Greek. I have traveled extensively, living and working overseas in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, and Italy. Naturally, I enjoy living in the Naperville area.