Susan

Writer. Storyteller. Mother. Advocate. Friend.

These are the words I use most often to describe myself. I spent many years working in the corporate world as a corporate storyteller, marketer, and writer. My projects spanned a wide gamut from tech to human interest. I spent years explaining the value of complex semiconductor technology to audiences ranging from in-the-trenches engineer to Wall Street investor. I also spent years writing about disability issues, employee motivation, and women’s health.

At some point, I became compelled to write in my own voice instead of my employers. My book-length memoir, the 117-Day Countdown, covers the period I spent waiting to have a brain tumor removed. I’ve written countless essays on topics as varied as my corporate career, mostly inspired by travel, human rights, parenting, and other everyday adventures. My work has recently been published in Hippocampus, Cry Magazine, and The Rubbertop Review. I took second place in the fall 2021 WOW! Women on Writing flash CNF contest. I served as managing editor for the Rio Review and served as a creative nonfiction reader for the Hunger Mountain Review.

In addition to my written stories, I’ve performed true personal stories or read my work onstage at a variety of venues in Austin, Houston, online, and even Italy. When the pandemic started lifting enough to start performing live stories again, I founded and continue to produce Austin’s Stories on the Lawn storytelling show.