About Me

Author Photo

Photo by Elysia D. Willis

 

CURRENTLY:

Living in Portland, Oregon. I’m a west coast person, although the east coast is fun to visit.

My favorite book is Catcher in the Rye, but it’s been a long time since I read it, so maybe not? My next three favorite books are Holes, Battle Royale, and The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie.

My favorite movie used to be A Goofy Movie, but it is now Chicken Run. I really like animated movies. (Wall-E is #3)

My favorite song is “I Know” by Fiona Apple. My favorite video game is Chrono Trigger. My favorite food is clam chowder or sushi.

Random facts about me: I’m a cat person, I’m allergic to nickel (maybe?), and I can’t independently raise my pinky finger. If you see me in person I’ll demonstrate the pinky thing.

 

EARLY LIFE:

I was born in Eureka, California, a place you’ve probably never heard of! It’s hidden among the redwood trees somewhere between San Francisco and the Oregon border. I spent most of my life there and, though I now call Oregon home, still return there occasionally.

Photo by... Mom?

Photo by… Mom?

I have two brothers and one sister, and I’m the youngest. I think sibling dynamics are interesting and I write about them a lot.

I was a TERRIBLE reader growing up and hardly read anything ever. I guess you’d call me a “reluctant reader,” but I was a good reader… I just read a lot of non-fiction. A friend introduced me to comics when I was 14, and then I read those for a long time. In college I decided I wanted to try writing, so first I tried to read 100 books in a year. I failed, but I started writing anyway. GOOD JOB, ROBIN

 

GROWN-UP LIFE:

I went to Mills College for my undergraduate degree, and to Vermont College of Fine Arts for my master’s degree. I highly recommend both, if you’re going to college, but college isn’t necessary if you want to be a writer, just FYI. I’d also recommend community college, which is a thrifty way to meet interesting people and learn something new. Another way to meet interesting people and learn something new: joining AmeriCorps!

AmeriCorps will also teach you how to climb trees

AmeriCorps will also teach you how to climb trees

For six years I was an elementary after-school teacher. For seven years I was a comic book editor. I am currently in accounting, maybe for eight years, maybe more!

 

FUTURE LIFE:

Hopefully I will live to be a hundred, though genetics aren’t in my favor. I think it’d be neat to own a cat ranch someday. Like a ranch, but with thousands of cats. Here’s the thing: I’d need to be rich in order to do that.

So, in the likely case I do not get sufficient cat ranch funds, I’ll probably just buy more and more books, and more and more bookshelves, and more and more Final Fantasy figurines.

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