Q: How did y’all meet?

A: We met in the first year of our MFA (Master of Fine Arts) program at Ohio State.

Q: Where are you both from?

A: I’m originally from Delaware; he’s from New Jersey.

Q: What is your educational background?

A: I earned my B.A. in English from Susquehanna University, then got my M.F.A. in poetry from Ohio State and my Ph.D. in English and creative writing from the University of Missouri. Mike earned his B.A. in music composition from Princeton, then his M.F.A. (in fiction) from Ohio State and his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri, as well. (Stars aligned and we managed to get into the same Ph.D. program after we graduated from our masters program.)

Q: How did y’all both end up at Mississippi State? What is it like to work alongside your husband in the English department?

A: We came to Mississippi State because we were lucky enough to both land jobs here. Working alongside one another is wonderful — although our professional lives are quite separate, in terms of our classes and our work. We co-direct the creative writing program together, attend meetings and events together and, as a bonus, get to see each other in the halls. When the English department was temporarily moved to Howell Hall (while Lee is being renovated), office space was limited, so faculty were asked to share an office with a colleague. It’s been very easy to share that space with Mike- — we have a lot of practice sharing spaces!

Q: You and your husband are both creative writers. Does this influence your work? If so, how? Do you look to one another for advice in your creative work? 

A: Yes, it absolutely influences our work. We are one another’s first readers and critics, and we’re often the first one the other talks to as a new idea is taking shape. Because we’re both writers, we also understand the idiosyncrasies of one another’s writing processes. Any kind of writing is a solitary endeavor, and it’s nice to share that solitariness with each other.