I was born in Minneapolis, with two middle names, Barbara and Louise. In grade school, before lunch programs had been established, we had "indoor picnics." All mothers brought dishes of food to serve, but I remember eating only my mother's spaghetti. And yes, in high school, I was one of those who actually did walk 20 blocks to school. My geometry teacher made math extra fun. What I learned in class was the inspiration for Zachary Zormer Shape Transformer. I enjoyed debate, class play, and being a cheerleader for our football team. I'm sorry to admit that my leading cheers did not help us win many games.

As a 10-year-old, I sold Christmas and greeting cards door-to-door. Then, as a teenager, I worked as a cashier at a grocery store, bagged popsicles at an ice cream factory, served as a counselor at a Girl Scout camp, and one summer worked as a secretary.

I received my BA from the University of Minnesota in speech/theater and sociology, a BS in education from Macalester College, and attended the University of Texas at El Paso. I enjoyed teaching second and third grades in Minneapolis and fourth and seventh grades in El Paso, Texas, while my husband, Bernie, served in the JAG Corps of the US Army.