Instructor Information

Background about me 

My name is Mary, and I'm thrilled to be your instructor.  

•  Education: I specialized in British Literature and in Fiction Writing.  I got my BA in English from UC Riverside and my MFA in Creative Writing from SDSU. I also have a love of Math and the Sciences.

• Teaching: I started my career teaching at SDSU. Later, in 1995, I started teaching at Cuyamaca.  I have taught all levels of composition, I was the newspaper advisor when we had a campus newspaper, I have taught creative writing, introduction to literature, British Literature,  and, of course, Science Fiction and Fantasy!  I have taught both Women's Self Defense and Karate for the college. I am also the Faculty Tutoring Coordinator.

• Personal: I feel really weird sharing stuff about myself out of context, but if it means you will be more likely to reach out to me, then it's worth it.  So . . . I have three dogs -- a Mom, Son, and Daughter dog. But I swear I'm not a crazy dog person. :) I have trained in and taught a traditional Japanese martial art -- Shotokan karate -- for about 36 years.  I am a recent cancer survivor, and between that and COVID, I haven’t been training in karate but look forward to returning soon. I'm part of a long-standing writing group. I was removed from my home by Child Protective Services when I was a teenager after experiencing multiple forms of abuse at home. Literature and writing have kept me sane and brought me a living. I will always be grateful for that. 

Why  I Study and Teach Literature and Writing? 💡 

Because Writing and Reading have helped me through every single crisis I have experienced in my life .

Because great writing is breathtakingly beautiful. And it makes life better.

Because I am grateful to the instructors that I had -- well, most of them -- for what I learned and who I have become.