I’ve written about books and reading (and other random things) for more than 10 years now so I figured it’s about time I updated my about me page. I kept the original below if you’re really interested to see the evolution
I’ve always been a reader. From the Little Golden Books when I was really young to the hundreds of Star Wars Extended Universe books I read (that are no longer canon—thanks for nothing Disney) to the myriad genres I read today, I’ve almost always had a book within reach. I read pretty across a lot of genres but have a soft spot for M/M romance and Jane Austen fan-fiction and after spending a few years in Yorkshire I have an appreciation for the Brontës that rivals my love for Austen.
For me reading is a way to engage my mind’s creative side. Using someone’s words to build a the scene and story in my mind adding details left up to my discretion is incredibly rewarding. It’s one of the reasons I love fantasy and fiction so much because there are whole new was of looking at things. It’s also one of the reasons I hated the Harry Potter film adaptations until I finally learned to let go of the fact that the director’s visions were never going to be my vision so I could either continue to not enjoy them or I could accept this and enjoy them for what they were.
When I’m not reading or blogging about books I work full time in higher education (fundraising), I travel and I knit. I enjoy going to plays and performances, but rarely enjoy a concert unless it’s a small intimate venue. To stay up to date on what I’m doing outside of reading follow me on Instagram or Twitter. For what I’m reading you can follow this blog, Goodreads or Twitter.
Original About Me Page (August 2011)
For what it’s worth, here is a bit about me. Â I’m sure It sounds like a cross between a bad resume and an even worse personals ad, but that’s what the internet is all about right?
That’s me in the photo, it’s on the Ilkley Moors at the Cow and Calf in West Yorkshire, England. I was going to put a picture of me reading, but I sort of liked the ridiculous grandiosity of this picture (think of the most recent film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice or even the film adaptation of RENT).
I grew up in North Carolina, with a few summer sojourns to Rhode Island during my undergraduate years, but upon completion of my degrees at UNC-Chapel Hill (Go Heels!), I moved to the UK to get a master’s degree from the University of Leeds. If you haven’t picked it up yet my masters was in Gender Studies. (I can see people nodding their heads fully understanding my fascination with coming out and the coming of age process).
After two years living and studying in the UK, I felt It was time to return to the US and chose Boston as my new home. It’s nothing like NC (but there are a lot of Southerners) and it’s a lot like England (lots of roads going nowhere, a lot of the same names and even more British ex-pats). I did a year of AmeriCorps VISTA when I first moved to Boston and then worked for an awesome nonprofit in the Boston Harbor Islands. I now work for a small private college in Institutional Advancement.