Once upon a time (1976) I accepted a one-year teaching appointment at a university I'd never heard of in a state I had never visited. Which just goes to show you that good things can't always be planned, or even anticipated. I teach courses in a variety of subjects having to do with the meaning of American popular culture. Recurring themes are fashion and consumerism. My research training is in the history of clothing and fashion, and I have published many articles on children's clothing in America. My current project is a book on gender differences in infants' and toddlers' clothing (pink and blue, and all that).

In my off-campus life I enjoy all kinds of music, reading, doing fiber and paper crafts and playing tourist in the Washington-Baltimore area. My husband and I met freshman year in college and were married senior year, in a galaxy far, far away. He used to be a theater technician, but now he builds model rooms with no actors for the local IKEA. (Hooray for regular hours, awesome benefits and not working on Saturday nights.)