Paige Riehl is a professor of English, writer, traveler, wife, mother, cat lover, and rock music enthusiast (although not necessarily in that order). Originally from South Dakota, she now lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She recently finished a sabbatical during which she worked on her MFA in Creative Writing at Hamline University. Her poetry and prose have appeared or are forthcoming in such print and online publications as Avatar Review, Emprise Review, The Honey Land Review, Rock, Paper, Scissors, Words-Myth, Mississippi Crow, Plum Ruby Review, Tryst Poetry Journal, Prairie Poetry, and more.

In answer to our question of why she writes, Paige responded:

“There are a million reasons not to write, but how else would the characters breathe? I have to let them out, let them run around on the page and figure out what they have to say, what they want and need to do. The pencil sketch starts in my mind; the painting is when I write. My stories typically begin with an idea for a character, and the plot comes after. Revision is a long process for me, but it’s so exhilarating to feel as if finally I’ve written a story the way it was meant to be written. Of course, when a reader enjoys and appreciates the story, there’s nothing more rewarding than that.”

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