Informed by her early work life as a substitute teacher, AmeriCorps literacy program coordinator, and nonprofit theater fund-raiser (and probably not a little bit by her time in pet-tag manufacturing–you have to write about something!), Kristin has been a professional in the world of words for the entire twenty-first century.
After the Christian Science Monitor published her nonfiction in 2004, she went on to focus on writing book reviews (the Oregonian, the San Francisco Chronicle, Rain Taxi, the Star Tribune, among others) as well as short stories and essays (Dzanc, Seal). She most recently served as lead writer on an affordable housing report for the City Club of Portland, Oregon.
She’s edited for individuals before they submit to agents or independently publish (Rebecca Pillsbury, Melanie Thernstrom, George Rabasa, among others); publishing houses such as Coffee House Press and Simon & Schuster; and organizations such as UN-Habitat, Lewis & Clark College, Portland State University, Montavilla Jazz Festival, and various tech companies.
For most books, Kristin recommends the Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster, along with project-specific style guides that take into account an author’s unique preferences, but she also regularly works with APA and AP. Whatever the guide, Kristin thinks consistency, readability, and voice are key.
When she’s not in front of her computer or a stack of manuscript pages, Kristin may be running two-day relays with friends or cuddling her cat (OK, that usually happens when she’s working too).