Nan Higginson

My blogs

About me

Gender Female
Occupation Teacher, Journalist, Writer
Location Long Island, New York
Introduction I'm an eternal optimist. In my twenties I wanted to be a back up singer for Tina Turner or Bette Midler. (Scrap my teaching career and get my mojo working!) The fact that I sing off key (with white chick flamboyance) sort of nixed that option, but I boldly pressed on. Although I planned to be an art teacher, my lack of talent was a reality I had to accept. I switched to teaching social studies, then added English teacher to my credits, then morphed into getting creds as a writer. Talk about your happy endings! Originally from way upstate NY, I'm a country girl underneath all the hoopla. I'm passionate about Native American issues and am most interested in the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)- gotta love those eastern woodland Natives! My stories about two teachers really exploit my multiple personalities: professional woman versus wife and mom; ethnographer versus homebody; extrovert versus introvert. No need for me to schedule a psych appointment, I just fire up my laptop and let my inner child loose! Happiness is being a writer!
Interests Meeting exotic people, talking with kids - okay that's redundant -, traveling, reading, the theatre (especially musicals), critiquing other peoples' work, hugging trees, catching snowflakes, and (DUH!) WRITING!
Favorite Movies Comedies with a message like TOOTSIE, Madcap comedies like MEN IN BLACK or anything Monty Pythonish, Cultural comedies like SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.
Favorite Music DIXIE CHICKS anyone?, The Divine Miss M, Ladysmith Black Mombaso, Paul Simon, hip hop, R&B, some Gospel, not much operatic, Elton John, Billy Joel, show tunes, and a whole lotta others.
Favorite Books Books by Louise Erdrich, T. C. Boyle, Anne Tyler, Toni Morrison, all of Harry Potter, GRAPES OF WRATH, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, CANDIDE, METAMORPHOSIS, THE STRANGE INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT, mysteries by Janet Evanovich, Tony Hellerman, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Michael Crichton, Dan Brown, John Grisham, et. al.