Sandy Hiortdahl

Sandy Hiortdahl www.sandyhiortdahl.com

Writers from the past have changed my life with their images and characters and worlds-come-to-life, particularly the late John Gardner. Awards for my writing include Washington College's Sophie Kerr Prize and a Governor's Award for Excellence in the novel. I have an M.F.A. from George Mason, an M.A. from the Univ. of Maryland, and a Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America. I teach English at a small community college in East Tennessee. Originally from Maryland, I find myself drawn to the ocean and the Chesapeake Bay and these make their way into my writing. Still, the mountains and Appalachian people have begun to sneak in as well. My scholarly book, 'Grendel Recast, John Gardner's Novel and Beowulf,' is published by Cambridge Scholars. Poetry and fiction of mine has appeared in Thema, Alimentum Journal, and Metonym, among others.

My website is www.sandyhiortdahl.com