cancerBrat is a freelance writer, registered nurse, and writing instructor in Phoenix, Arizona. In June of 2004, she graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative nonfiction from Antioch University, Los Angeles. Writing has always served a purpose in her life, but it wasn’t until her son died in a motorcycle accident in March, 1999, that she began to publish her works. What’s unique about cancerBrat is the way she balances the life of a nurse with the life of a writer. “Nursing allows me to give back to the community and then write about those experiences.”
cancerBrat teaches creative writing in a variety of settings from community colleges to a school for homeless children to wellness communities throughout the Valley of the Sun. In 2004, cancerBrat launched an Arts and Healing program for children undergoing dialysis at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center. She has published numerous personal essays, cover stories, interviews, and book reviews for a variety of national and regional publications. Her manuscript, a work in progress, features a series of twelve essays, ten of which are introduced with black and white photos, dealing with issues of family and identity.