To begin with, I must admit that I'm one of those people whose direction in life was, as far as I was concerned, self-evident: I was going to be a writer. As a result, after having poetry published in three anthologies during my childhood and adolescence, I headed straight for a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing at New York's Binghamton University.
After graduating in 1975, I embarked upon an editorial career, learning my craft at magazines in both the travel and science fiction genres, only taking time out to write a young adult book called Robots: Reel to Real, published in 1982 by Arco Publishing. However, it wasn't until 1983 that I found my true niche at PC Magazine, which was soon to become the top journalistic authority on all things relating to personal and business computing.
I steadily advanced my knowledge of both editing and technology at Personal Computing, PC Sources, Computer Shopper, and Portable Computing magazines. I also spent some time as a freelance writer for these magazines as well as for PC Week, Microsoft Systems Journal, and others.
During my time at PC Magazine, I discovered a new form of communication which quickly became an important part of my professional and personal life: the Internet. At the time still unknown to most outside technical and academic arenas, the Internet was showing its potential as a source of information and opinion exchange. I soon became the co-host of one of the first online services to appeal to women: WBBS (the Women's BBS). Although WBBS didn't last for more than a few years, I remained active online, acting as co-host for Computer Shopper's Web chats, and hosting the science fiction and Jewish forum for ECHO, a NYC-based online community.
I brought all that experience with me in 1999 when I became Content Director for @vantage, an e-commerce site (now defunct) providing both commercial resources and content to small businesses, and then went on to short-term jobs at Portable Computing Magazine and BERTL (an analyst firm for digital reproduction devices). After working as a freelance writer and editor for several years (including a position as Printers/Scanners Guide for About.com, I took a position at Reviews Editor for Informationweek.
In December, 2007, I moved to Computerworld, where I currently work as Features & Reviews Editor.
In spite of my concentration on technical writing and editing, I never abandoned the world of fiction. I've had short stories appear in a variety of magazines, including Doorways, Sybil's Garage, Behind the Wainscot, Escape Velocity, Weird Tales, Descent, Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, and Amazing Stories. My stories have also appeared in the anthologies Such a Pretty Face: Tales of Power & Abundance and Memories and Visions: Women's Fantasy & Science Fiction.
Upcoming publications include contributions to Space and Time, Electric Velocipede, and two anthologies: Things Aren't What They Seem and Clockwork Phoenix 2.