The Performers is a novel that explores the calling of the creative life and the cost of success. It follows Juli, a young singer growing up in the Midwest in the early 2000s, whose ambitions put in her conflict with her father, a once prominent trumpet player. Juli finds support from her best friend, her voice teachers, and a troupe of fellow performers. When Juli discovers a family secret, she must decide if she has the strength and dedication to pursue music and leave behind the comfort and love of what she knows. 

This semi-autobiographical novel is set during Juli's four years of high school, a crucial time for young musicians who must strive for continual excellence in their art while making decisions that could impact their lives and careers. The early 2000s is a particularly relevant time for this book as 9/11 brought a halt to an era of abundance and forced a generation to re-think what the future would hold. 

I wrote "Little Feet" when I was processing my mother's death. I found that no matter what prompt I gave myself, I couldn't seem to write about her death after a decade-long battle with cancer. I wanted to be truthful, I thought, and give the mystical details of her death exactly like they happened. But as I was reminded, sometimes the truest expression of our experiences is fictional.

I remembered how much my mom loved pedicures and this story popped out. So much of it is true—the priest giving the mother last rites, the aunt's with the casserole—but since it is speculative, much is not as well. This piece has led me farther into the realm of hybrid work, mixing fiction and non-fiction more deliberately to arrive at what I find is the most truthful expression of experience. Frequently, I am able to express the emotion more fully when in a fictional, fantastical context.