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 ony one dog left from the pack in the picture. And she is not going to be with us much longer. Her name is Harp. She is the larger, cream dog in the photos.

I have trained in and taught a traditional Japanese martial art -- Shotokan karate -- for about 40 years.  

I am a cancer survivor.

I'm part of a very long-standing writing group. 

As a teenager, I was removed from my home by Child Protective Services 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 them 

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 -- both from our authors and form you -- 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.