I write personal essays and am at work on a book called “The Rag and Bone Man,” a memoir of growing up in Wisconsin with a mentally ill parent from China. I live in Los Angeles with my husband, two children, mom (sometimes), and too many pets.

I’m a fan of storytelling venues and programs like The Moth (live events throughout the US) , and UnFictional (KCRW/NPR). I’ve read at the Los Angeles writers’ events Expressing Motherhood and Spark Off Rose, which is a lot of fun even though I spend too much time worrying about enunciating and my outfit.

I have a B.A. in history from Vassar College and a Masters in Public Health (Epidemiology) from the University of California, Los Angeles. My other work includes medical writing and editing. I have worked for the medical companies Apothecom Associates and Insyght, and my clients included Allergan and Pfizer and Amgen, working on therapeutics in cholesterol reduction, dermatology, smoking cessation, and oncology. My current medical interests are mental health, nutrition, exercise, and physical fitness.

I’m still trying to slog through reading most of what I was supposed to read in college lit classes, but in the mean time I find inspiration in young adult and children’s literature, and I know more than I should about science fiction.