Along the way, I have honed my skills as a developmental editor, critiquing essays and book manuscripts for international journals and university presses and directing graduate theses. I have also taught essay writing, thesis development, and professional food writing. Since earning my doctorate in English literature, I have taught graduate and undergraduate courses on topics ranging from feminist theory to American culinary history. Task accomplished, I headed West, where I turned toward the study of food, gender, and literature, eventually becoming one of the first scholars to specialize in American food writing. Although I was leaving the city in six months to attend graduate school in California, I leapt at the chance, creating the paper's food section and served as its inaugural dining critic.
After making my way up the editorial ladder from research editor to travel columnist at an inflight magazine, a former co-worker rang to ask if I’d head the dining section of a weekly he was launching in my hometown of Dallas, Texas. I began my career as a cub reporter for a daily newspaper.
