![]() |
Photo by Treadshots.com |
What did you study at NYU?
As an undergrad, I studied biology. I also got my masters at NYU, and studied environmental conservation education, which was then part of the Philosophy of Education department.
Based on your educational background, how did you get into the writing profession?
There is no easy, straightforward answer to that, unfortunately! I have written since I was a kid—journals, plays, stories. However, I never considered writing to be a viable career. While I was in my grad program at NYU, I had a lot of courses that required writing—more than I had done while studying biology. I enjoyed them. During grad school I spent a semester at the University of Washington while working at an internship in Seattle. While there, I wandered into the offices of the university newspaper and…that was it. I was hooked. I ended up spending way too much time in the newsroom and on my next trip back to New York I pestered my way into an internship at The Village Voice.
In what way has your educational experience at NYU shaped what you do now?
My professors, especially at the graduate level, were big believers in the importance of communication and being able to discuss and write about what you thought and believed. Tom Colwell and Millard Clements, my grad advisors, were incredibly intelligent and really embraced discussion and debate. I think in many ways they helped shape my desire to look at situations from a variety of viewpoints. And of course living and learning at NYU, in the Village, surrounded by such wonderful minds and enthralling history, was incredibly inspiring.
Denise Kiernan: her story continues