Educating Amy
My illustrious career as a writer began in grade two, when, much to my surprise, a poem I had written in class was published in a regional anthology of children’s work. Two other similar publications followed, and I was hooked. Throughout my younger years, I devoured books, and managed to write a number of short stories, a misguided, but well-intentioned novel, and a one-act play which was performed by my drama class. I also tried my hand at directing.
My university years were spent studying English and Philosophy, and my love of words and ideas managed to sustain me through an Honours BA and an MA. I took pride in the fact that Canada had such an amazing literary tradition, and that it was comprised of so many outstanding female writers, and represented so many different cultural and historical viewpoints. Fervent in my belief that philosophy didn’t belong exclusively to philosophers, I did my thesis work on Simone de Beauvoir, and enjoyed reading other literary thinkers.
After graduation, I went into the family business: teaching (it’s kind of like being in the mafia). Since then, I’ve sought to teach students of all ages and cultures the value of writing, both as a skill and a pastime, as well as the joy of reading. Over the years, I've designed college courses in Literature, Philosophy, Women’s Studies, Communications and Creative Writing. My latest venture is a series of Philosophy workshops for children.
My endeavours as a writer have included web content, educational resources, academic materials and marketing literature, as well as a variety of articles and reviews for both print and electronic publications. My true loves, however, are fiction, poetry and children’s literature.