Words...are her first love. They play with her, they work with her, they begin and end her day. Nancy is a poet, a writer, a columnist, an editor , a proofreader, and a word puzzle addict. Although Nancy has been in love with words her entire life, her official career with them began late. After raising a family, she returned to college at the ripe old age of 36, earning her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, and her Master’s degree from Simmons College, Boston, both in English. This led to teaching, first in high schools in Massachusetts, then in Maine, where she moved in 1972.

Somewhere along the line, Nancy discovered Carrabassett Valley, and skiing at Sugarloaf. Another love, this time of a region. She had to have a place nearby. She bought a piece of land, built a yurt on it, with the help of a yurt workshop, left her teaching job, and moved up into the yurt. She found another teaching position with an adult remedial reading program, where she tutored for several years, until the director of that program passed away. She stepped into her former director’s job at the University of Maine, Farmington, teaching freshman composition. She also began work as a local reporter for the Morning Sentinel, Waterville; this was the beginning of her newspaper career.

After 12 years in the yurt, family necessity forced her to move back to the coast, where she stumbled into a reporting job for the Senior Citizens’ Supplementary Employment Program (SCSEP); this, in turn led her to freelancing, primarily with the Lincoln County News. She now writes a weekly column for this paper. Before she stopped driving at night, Nancy also wrote theater and music reviews. She continues to do interviews with some of the local, creative people and reports on the Lunch and Learn Program at Spectrum Generations as well as the meetings of Maine Media Women, where she is a long-time member.

While living in the yurt, Nancy wrote a libretto based on Beowulf. She found a composer, Charlie Bechler, in Waldoboro, and, in 2005, they produced Beowulf! King! at the Waldo Theatre. She is presently revising her memoir about building the yurt, at least temporarily entitled (naturally) The Yurt.

Nancy also loves the sea, where she has spent as much time as possible “messing about in boats.”

Nancy is available for editing or proofreading: telephone 207-529-5869, or email purpleyurts38@yahoo.com.

Below: Experts from Nancy's libretto based on Beowulf.

Please click to images to enlarge.