Spotlight on the Judges - Deborah Foss

Deborah Foss is a writer, editor and college writing instructor living in Atascadero, California.  She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in English, with an emphasis in Creative Writing, and her MFA in Fiction from University of Utah in 1993.  Deborah has taught Writing and Children’s Literature at University of La Verne’s SLO campus for nine years; prior to that, she taught writing classes at Cuesta College and Salt Lake Community College.

Deborah’s creative writing work began with the Wild Goose Company in Salt Lake City.  For five years she wrote and edited award-winning humorous science books and experiment instructions for clients, including Steve Spangler, Mr. Wizard, Lawrence Hall of Science, and Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.  After moving back to California, Deborah worked on the California Education and the Environment Initiative Model Curriculum, writing over 80 introductory narratives called California Connections.  She also wrote California’s Natural Regions, a book for third-grade students describing the diverse ecosystems in our State.

Deborah’s short stories and poems have appeared in various literary journals over the years, including Shades, Sister Song, and Silver Vein. She was a contributing writer to Biomes and Ecosystem: An Encyclopedia, in 2013, and recently acted as ghostwriter for My Country or My Company, a memoir about free trade, outsourcing, and manufacturing in the United States. In early 2015 she completed a screenplay, Airlansea, based on a novel by the same name. She is currently working on her book, Environmental Intelligence: How Poetry, Art, and Storytelling Can Reconnect Children with the Natural World.