Biography

Before coming to Ithaca College in 2010, Amy taught at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL and The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. Born and raised in upstate New York, she is thrilled to have returned to the beautiful and eclectic Finger Lakes region.

Amy received her MFA in creative nonfiction from The Ohio State University in 2008. Her work has been published in numerous literary journals and twice nominated for a Pushcart prize. Her first collection of essays, Close Quarters, was released from Sweet Publications in February 2012, and she continues work on another nonfiction manuscript, The Way I Love You, which examines our penchant for nostalgia as individuals, families, communities, and a nation. She is also a regular contributor at The Nervous Breakdown in nonfiction and arts and culture. Her literary heroes include Caroline Knapp, Lorrie Moore, Bernard Cooper, and Lee Martin, and her non-literary heroes include her mother, her husband, Jason, and her Schipperke-border collie mix, Koty, master of the Frisbee. In her spare time, Amy enjoys blogging, cardio exercise of all kinds, and "locavoring" her way through Ithaca.

Drawing from composition studies, linguistics, critical pedagogy, media studies, the biological sciences and other disciplines, Amy's current academic writing course theme explores the ways in which technology re-routes the evolution of written communication and the English language. She also serves as an adviser to Ithaca College's journal of academic writing and critical pedagogy, The Chalkboard, and as a learning skills consultant in Academic Enrichment Services.

 Areas

• Academic Writing
• Creative Nonfiction

Degrees

• MFA, The Ohio State University, 2008
• BA, Ithaca College, 2005 (magna cum laude)

Collections and Works-in-Progress

• Close Quarters, essays. Sweet Publications, 2012.
• The Way I Love You. Essay collection-in-progress.

Journal Publications

• "How to Euthanize a Horse." Natural Bridge. Forthcoming Fall 2012 (nonfiction)
• "The Other Woman." The Iron Horse Literary Review. Forthcoming Winter 2012 (nonfiction)
• "Choosing Not to Know: A Review of B.J. Hollars' In Defense of Monsters." The Nervous Breakdown. Winter 2012 (book review)
• "Christmas 1984." The Nervous Breakdown. Fall 2011 (nonfiction)
• "Suburban." Connotation Press. Fall 2011 (nonfiction)
• "A Good Man." WomenArts Quarterly Journal. Fall 2011 (nonfiction) Nominated for Pushcart Prize.
• "Adopted Siblings: Part One." The Nervous Breakdown. Fall 2011 (nonfiction)
• "Southpaw: One Week as a Leftie." The Nervous Breakdown. Summer 2011 (nonfiction)
• "Dear M---, It's Me Again, Amy." The Nervous Breakdown. Summer 2011 (nonfiction)
• "Chimney Swift." Sweet: A Literary Confection. Spring 2011 (nonfiction)
• "The North Side." Phoebe. Spring 2011 (nonfiction)
• "All the Ways We Fool Ourselves." Waccamaw. Fall 2010 (nonfiction). Nominated for Pushcart Prize.
• "Getting Caught." Prick of the Spindle. Summer 2010 (nonfiction)
• "Winter." Upstreet. Winter 2010 (nonfiction)
• "Miracles We Get." Redivider. Spring 2009 (nonfiction)
• "Tradition." The Rambler. Fall 2008 (nonfiction)
• "Looking Forward." Word Riot. Winter 2007 (nonfiction)
• "Errands." Flashquake. Summer 2007 (nonfiction)
• "From Private to Public: Moving Personal Narrative to Cultural Analysis." Association of Writers and Writing Programs, Best of the Pedagogy Papers 2007

Honors and Awards

• Nominee, Pushcart Prize. WomenArts Quarterly Journal. Fall 2011.
• Recipient, certificate of recognition from the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life at Ithaca College for collaborative course development. Spring 2011.
• Nominee, Pushcart Prize. Waccamaw. Fall 2010.
• Finalist, The Journal Alumni Flash Contest. The Ohio State University. Fall 2009.
• Nominee, Ohio State University Graduate Associate Teaching Award. Spring 2008.
• Recipient, commendation letter for teaching excellence. The Ohio State University First-Year Writing Program. Spring 2006.
• Winner, Ithaca College Writing Contest in nonfiction and poetry. Spring 2005.

Conference Presentations

• “The Role of Research in Memoir.” Panelist, Gulf Coast Association of Creative Writing Teachers Conference. Fairhope, AL, Spring 2010. 
• “Creative Nonfiction: The Dangerous Genre.” Panelist, Gulf Coast Association of Creative Writing Teachers Conference. Fairhope, AL, Spring 2009. 
• “From Private to Public: Moving Personal Narrative to Cultural Criticism.” Pedagogy symposium, Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference. Atlanta, GA, Spring 2007.