Biographical Sketch (cv)
I was born in Baltimore, Maryland on October 14, 1947 and was raised
in a struggling middle class African American family. I must clarify
the word “struggling” or suffer the wrath of my parents.
By using that word I mean that we were not of the comfortable middle
class. Growing up as African American children, we had niceties that
many children would not have expected, but the family had to save and
work very hard. I was the oldest of four children. My mother, a home
economics teacher from a family of many teachers, taught us an appreciation
for art, music, and home arts. My father, a World War II veteran and
surveyor for the federal government, taught us an appreciation for
history and archeology. I recall many Sunday visits to the Baltimore
Museum of Art and to the Walters Art Gallery. Dad would quiz us on
the Egyptian artifacts and mummies, while Mom would discuss the impressionists
and their juxtaposition of colors.
At an early age I was fascinated by nature studies. Though we lived in West Baltimore
City, we kids had access to a nearby woodland where we discovered a natural pond,
a moat, and the overgrown ruins of a young ladies` finishing school. The area
provided a wealth of insect and plant life to explore. Using these ramblings
as inspiration, I did write some nature poetry as a child. As an adult I have
written a volume of poetry using themes from nature. I have also written two
other short volumes using other themes.
I have attained my degrees in biological sciences, including a B.S. in Biology
from Morgan State University and an M.S. in Microbiology from The Ohio State
University. I am currently teaching at Morgan State University. I attend several
Microbiology conferences and seminars annually, and I also do poetry readings.
In 1971, I married William Modlin, whom I met when I was a Morgan undergrad.
I now have four adult children, a daughter-in-law, and a grandson, who are all
my apples.
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