This Is Me

You know that person who reads aloud the typos in the morning paper? The one who knows the difference between who and whom and wants to be sure everyone around her knows she knows it, too? That's not me, but it probably would be if I didn't have a healthier outlet for my obsession with language: publishing.

From a very young age I've had a knack for language. In the sixth grade I scored record-breaking marks on Mrs. Grabel's dreaded Grabel Grammar test. In seventh I began to study my first dead language, Latin. In high school I picked up a few more living ones: Spanish, Italian, and French. My love of language landed me in the linguistics program at Georgetown University, where, by dissecting language from the bottom up, I learned the art and science of human expression. (That's also where I studied my second dead language, Sanskrit.) I discovered how and why grammar and style develop, what the rules are, and when it's OK to break them.

With this background, editorial work was a natural fit for me. I started my career researching and writing in the heath care field, eventually becoming managing editor of a leading newsstand wellness magazine (for the details of my professional experience, see Where I've Been). Along the way I've been a part of every step of the publishing process, from digging-through-the-stacks research to ground-up publication launches.

In 2006 I struck out on my own as a freelancer, which has allowed me to explore all my areas of interest—and to discover new ones. I've written, edited, and managed publications in the fields of health, fitness, family, pets, travel, and business. I approach every project with curiosity, enthusiasm, and that annoying attention to detail that would lose me a lot of friends if it weren't channeled into the work I love.