"Ah, life"
I was born and raised in a small town just outside of Glasgow, Scotland, which, I believe, explains my inherent cheekiness and my sophisticated sarcasm gene.
In the late seventies, my family immigrated to America where my love for books deepened and broadened, and I made a career out of my driving passions: reading, writing, and teaching. I'm currently an English Professor at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where, among other things literary, I conduct a seminar on the art of the mystery, teach courses on film and fiction, a course on Latin American Civilizations and Cultures, and a variety of writing classes. I've been teaching at Alverno for over twenty years (let me add here that I began teaching when I was, em, 14).
I’m also a regular contributor to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. I write about books in particular, the arts in general, and personal essays every now and then. My reviews also run in The Minneaoplis Star Tribune.
My academic interests are as broad and diverse as my reading and writing ones. I’m on the Editorial Board for the Journal of General Education, and I often consult with other institutions across the country on matters relating to teaching, learning and assessment.
On a more personal note, I openly admit to being a TV slut, loving lots of shows, particularly ones with serial killers, vampires, strong sci fi elements, and dark crimes. Currently, 30 Rock, Dexter, Fringe, The Closer, Battlestar Galactica, and, of course, Torchwood and Doctor Who are keeping me on my couch.
"Ah, life"
My husband, Kevin Casey, and I met in graduate school at Northern Illinois University. After graduate school we taught in South Dakota and Nebraska, eventually coming to Alverno together in 1987. Kevin is now Professor of History and Associate Dean of the Humanities at Alverno. He has published numerous articles on teaching history and a book on foreign policy, Saving International Capitalism During the Early Truman Presidency (Routledge, 2001).
We have a daughter and a son, both of whom know lots of naughty words in Scottish, most of them taught to them by their Uncle John, aka Captain Jack Harkness, and they can recite “The Auld Broon Coo” with the best of them. John can, too.