I have been a fan of Abraham Lincoln ever since I received David Herbert Donald's Pulitzer-prize winning Lincoln on my sixteenth birthday.  I'm also a fan of the history of Illinois, especially Springfield - it's no exaggeration to say that I know more dead people than live ones in that town.  Finally, I love the material aspects of American history and culture: artifacts, art, archaeology, architecture.  And best of all is when all those areas of interest overlap.

I hold a Masters degree from the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture and a B.A. in history and English from Illinois Wesleyan University.  I've volunteered, interned, and worked at museums and historical projects throughout Illinois, including the David Davis Mansion State Historic Site, Cuneo Museum and Gardens, Dickson Mounds Museum, the Papers of Abraham Lincoln, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, and the Illinois State Museum. 

I have also published several articles on historical subjects for encyclopedias, magazines, and journals.  My work has appeared in the Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, the Journal of Illinois History, the Living Museum, History Magazine, and The Political Lincoln: An Encylopedia.