Liz grew up in San Diego, studied acting at UC Irvine, and earned her MA in Gender and Sexuality studies from University of Cincinnati. She served as the inaugural Director for the LGBT Center at Case Western Reserve University and is currently a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant. Sharing her story has helped her begin to heal from personal tragedy, and she is grateful for the Literary Cleveland community for their fond embrace.
Liz grew up in San Diego with an avocado tree in her yard. She studied acting at UC Irvine and earned her undergraduate degree in Theater. After quick stops in New York City and Charlottesville, VA, she ended up in Cleveland in 2002 and found a home in this cloudy and unexpectedly friendly city. While living in Cleveland, Liz earned her MA in Gender and Sexuality studies from University of Cincinnati, focusing on Transnational Feminism and also reading a lot of Judith Butler and Jeanette Winterson.
After grad school, Liz had the privilege of serving for eleven years as the inaugural Director for the LGBT Center at Case Western Reserve University. During this time, she lived in a beautiful old house and happily walked the broken sidewalks of Cleveland Heights with her partner and son, Gabe.
In May 2020, following an inconceivable personal tragedy, Liz took an online Literary Cleveland class with Dana Norris and began to explore her voice through storytelling. Her writing explores the intersection of parenthood, traumatic grief, intimacy and the complexity of sexual identity. Sharing her story has been part of an intense healing process and she is grateful for the Literary Cleveland community for their fond embrace.
Liz now lives on the west side of Cleveland with her two cats, Rooster and Nellie, and works as a consultant in diversity, equity and inclusion. She loves to read the Sunday New York Times, has recently learned to surf and is easily distracted by dogs, babies and patio dining.
