Lori Ann Stephens
If it hadn't have been for the inexpensive classes offered at Richland, Lori Ann might never have attended college. Her parents didn't go to college, and with four children, they didn't have funds to provide a higher education for their children. Lori Ann paid her way through college by working full time as a clerk.
She began her college career at Richland and quickly realized that she wanted to become a college English professor after taking several courses in literature and Creative Writing. After completing her bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) in 1993 and teaching for five years at public and private schools, she returned to UTD to earn a master's degree in 1999 in Studies in Literature. She then set her sights on a Ph.D. in Aesthetic Studies. Her goal was to complete her Ph.D. before the birth of her second child. In 2003, she walked across the stage in her cap and gown - nine months pregnant.
Lori Ann now teaches Rhetoric and Creative Writing to adults of all ages including sections in the English credit program at Richland College. She also teaches the art of the short story for The Writer's Garret, a non-profit organization in Dallas that provides a forum for non-professional writers at a substantially reduced rate compared to local colleges and universities. She teaches in the 10-week series as a contribution to her community, to give back to those writers who may not be able (for financial or scheduling reasons) to attend a writing class at a university. Lori Ann also organized a group called the Teacher Appreciation Committee at her son's day care, which honors teachers of the very young.
Lori Ann has published several short stories over the past few years. Her story, "Horse Heavy" has been anthologized in a collection of fiction called "Sudden Fiction." In 2003, she placed second in a national fiction competition, and her story, "We Cry For Us," was subsequently published in 2004 in the magazine Glimmer Train Stories. She has recently finished her first novel, now in her agent's hands, and is embarking on a second novel.