Artist Statement

My writing celebrates queer characters discovering hope and joy. My characters reject conformity and seek out ways to live authentically. They support each other, build loving families, and create communities of care.

I write speculative fiction because it is a genre of possibility. Queer representation in speculative fiction is particularly important because it demonstrates that queer people can exist, and thrive, in any world.

My work is inspired by Ursula Le Guin, who wrote that too often, artists “praise despair [and] condemn delight.” I push back against the idea that fiction must be “grim,” “gritty,” or “dark” in order to be “realistic.” Although the worlds I create may be bound by unfair systems, my message that it is possible—even imperative—for people, especially queer and gender non-conforming people, to find happiness in living authentically.

Through my stories, I show the full range of human possibility: sadness, confusion, heartbreak, and fear—but also, the triumph and exultation of finding home.

Curriculum Vitae

Education

Ph.D. in Creative Writing – University of Calgary, 2018
Dissertation: Figuera: Traversals of Gender in Interactive Fiction

M.A. in Science Fiction Studies – University of Liverpool, 2010
Thesis: Performing Self: Exploring Frames and Performativity in Online Role-Playing Games

B.A. Hons. in English, Creative Writing Concentration – University of Calgary, 2009

B.A. in Sociology – University of Calgary, 2004

Selected Grants, Awards, and Residencies

Transformative Talent Internship – Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society
February 2017 – February 2018

SSHRC Doctoral Scholarship – University of Calgary
September 2014 – June 2017

Writer In Residence – Queen Elizabeth Junior High School
September 2012 – June 2013

Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship – University of Calgary
September 2013 – June 2014

Professional Experience

Associate Editor – Foundation: The International Review of Science Fiction
March 2009 – present

Creative Writing Instructor – Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society
Various workshops and courses, 2017 – present

English Literature and Creative Writing Instructor – University of Calgary
Various courses, 2011 – 2020