BOOKS:

• "What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love and Marriage: Lessons for People From Animals and Their Trainers" (Random House, Feb. 2008)
• “Kicked, Bitten and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the Premier School for Exotic Animal Trainers” (Viking, June 2006)
• “Cookoff: Recipe Fever in America” (Viking, Oct. 2003).

STAFF POSITIONS:

• Adjunct Professor, 2006 to the present, Boston University, Department of Journalism
• Arts and Features Reporter, 1993 - 2001, The Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Me.
• Arts & Entertainment Reporter, 1988 - 1992, The Burlington Free Press, Burlington, Vt.
• I’ve also worked for a number of arts organizations, including the Robert Hull Fleming Museum at the University of Vermont and the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati.

FREELANCE PUBLICATIONS:

• Bark Magazine
• The New York Times
• Wondertime Magazine
• Art New England
• The Boston Globe
• The Christian Science Monitor
• Cincinnati Magazine
• The Cincinnati Post
• Cooking Light
• Disney Magazine
• DownEast
• Family Fun
• Los Angeles Times
• Ohio Magazine
• Restaurant Business
• Vermont Magazine

EDUCATION:

• Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism, M.S.J., 1987.
• University of Cincinnati, B.A. art history, 1982.
• University of Paris, certificate in French language and culture, 1980.

AWARDS:

• 2008 Award for Effective Presentation of Behavior Analysis in the Mass Media, Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis
• Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writer, Fall 2003.
• Finalist, literary food category, International Association of Culinary Professionals, 2004.
• Second place, Daily Feature, Maine Press Association, 1998.
• Third place, Critic's Award - Daily, Maine Press Association, 1996.
• Third place, John D. Donoghue Award for Arts Criticism, Vermont Press Association, 1992.
• First place, John D. Donoghue Award for Arts Criticism, V.P.A., 1991.
• Third place, National Magazine Writing Contest, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, 1988.
• First place, Iota Sigma Epsilon Writing Contest, Northwestern University, 1988.
• Thomas A. Gallagher Award for Outstanding Achievement in Article Writing, Iota Sigma Epsilon Writing Contest, 1988.

SPEAKING/READING:

• “Life in the Toxic Triangle,” panel member, Boston, MA, March 2006
• ”Maine Writers’ Evening”, Slow Food, Portland Chapter presentation, January 2006.
• “How I Got Here: One Writer’s Path”, Camden Book Festival, Camden, Maine, Fall 2004
• “Cookoff” reading, The Southern Festival of Books, Nashville, Tn., October 2003.