Introducing myself and my journal: Gaijin Mama

About Me:
I was born and raised in the United States, but came to Japan after college to teach for one year and never left. Now I live in a rural community with my Japanese husband and our twins - a boy and a girl. My daughter is deaf and uses a wheelchair due to her cerebral palsy. Her disabilities have led me to an interest in disability issues, which I often write about. Last year, I published an anthology, Love You to Pieces: Creative Writers on Raising a Child with Special Needs (Beacon Press) and a picture book entitled Playing for Papa (Topka Books) about our diverse family members. I've also published a novel, Losing Kei, about an expatriate mother who loses custody of her Japan-born son and does whatever she can to get him back. My next book is another anthology, this one on mothering across cultures. The title is Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering.

My Passions:
reading, writing, my children, travel, human rights

My Challenges:
To learn Japanese Sign Language, to help people appreciate diversity

My Vision for the Future:
A world where diversity is celebrated

My Areas of Expertise:
writing, teaching