I teach writing and public speaking at the University of California, Berkeley, where I received a doctorate in rhetoric with an emphasis in folklore. As much as I enjoy teaching, I enjoy writing ev...view moreI teach writing and public speaking at the University of California, Berkeley, where I received a doctorate in rhetoric with an emphasis in folklore. As much as I enjoy teaching, I enjoy writing even more. I wrote my first science fiction novel in 1986 (an oddly heartfelt story about alien rats), and I've been writing ever since.When I'm not teaching or writing, I'm tossing heavy objects into the air above my head.view less