Working on bio page for campaign website (very raw version is here: http://mohanrajforoakpark.com). This is too long, right? I should cut a bunch of it, maybe the publications? (It is hard figuring out what voters want to know.)
(NOTE — have trimmed publications, also edited to put in bullet points, to make it more readable, but now it feels more like a resume, hm.)
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Campaign Bio:
Mary Anne Mohanraj is a writer & artist, English professor, and parent. She’s been blogging her life since December 1995, so is possibly the most transparent candidate you’re likely to run across. She’s lived in Oak Park for about 10 years, with her partner, Kevin, two children (currently attending 8th grade Brooks and 5th grade Holmes), and assorted pets.
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Since she’s running for school board, you might care about Mary Anne’s educational background and teaching experience:
• University of Utah Ph.D. in English Lit. and Writing
• University of Illinois at Chicago (10+ years), Clinical Associate Professor of Fiction and Literature
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Mary Anne has a long history of community service spanning decades:
• has served locally on the board of the Oak Park Garden Club and moderates three large community Facebook groups (Oak Park Area Garden Club, Oak Park Area Cooking Club, and Oak Park Area Neighbors)
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Her publications will give you a sense of her interests and accomplishments:
• The Stars Change (Circlet Press), and twelve other titles.
Bodies in Motion was a finalist for the Asian American Book Awards, a USA Today Notable Book, and has been translated into six languages. The Stars Change was a finalist for the Lambda, Rainbow, and Bisexual Book Awards.
Mohanraj is a recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship in Prose, has received a Locus Award and a Breaking Barriers Award from the Chicago Foundation for Women, and has been Guest of Honor at numerous conventions.
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