About Me

Hello! Thanks for visiting.

I’m Valerie, aka Val, aka Vovo. I’ve been passionate about writing since kindergarten, when my first short story — written and illustrated in marker — was graced with an “I’m Proud of You!” dinosaur stamp. I earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in creative writing from SUNY Brockport and have 15 years of professional writing, editing, and marketing experience in higher education, performing arts, and medical informatics.

My writing interests are unabashedly wide. Through my angsty youth and into college, I tended toward short fiction and poetry, developing somewhat of an obsession in my undergrad years for erasure poetry. I also have a deep fondness for YA and children’s literature, especially the brilliance of Dr. Seuss. I’d love to write a scholarly essay about his work at some point. By the time I wrote my master’s thesis, my focus had shifted to a narrative nonfiction project that later became my first book, published in April 2022. I have a couple more nonfiction projects in development in my head, eager to get on the page soon. And I know poetry and fiction will come back to visit me from time to time.

Current (fabulous) day job: medical copy editor at VisualDx
Current (fabulous) side hustle: editor at Three Fates Editing

Past lives:
– marketing associate for SUNY Brockport
– marketing manager for the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus
– content manager for the University of Rochester’s Office of College Enrollment