A journal-keeper, I’ve been writing fiendishly about life’s experiences since I was thirteen years old. Like Harriet (of Spy fame) I have a vast library of notebooks filled with important observations about people, situations, and my place in the scheme of things. I spend my days editing others’ manuscripts, writing about memories and rodents, singing, playing piano, swimming, organizing my sons’ and husband’s lives and humoring a hip condition. Until his recent death, I joined my father on walks, helping him search for his own remaining memories. I like to laugh and do that a lot, even when it’s inappropriate.
My undergrad and grad degrees in biology and public health led to twenty years as an occupational epidemiologist, where I studied and wrote about work-related diseases—an opportunity to hone objectivity, brevity, and an appreciation for the scientific method. My non-scientific publications include two nonfiction pieces in the Ann Arbor Observer and one in the Kalamazoo College alumni magazine Lux Esto. A short story was selected as a quarterfinalist in the 2017 Screencraft Cinematic Short Story Contest. A memoir describing my college study abroad experience is complete; another, in progress, describes my alternative existence camping during my high school years.
Contact me: nnelson235@gmail.com