Writer,
Attorney,
Future Squidhunter
(If you are the kind of person who thinks that everything is better when it involves a dog, please check out my alternative bio — My Life in Dogs.)
I am a terrible fisherwoman. Once, I caught a clam. Another time, a moray eel. I have also (tragically) killed a large number of pet fish.
I sing. Opera, a cappella, jazz, show tunes, you name it. Right now, my singing is mostly reserved for road trips.
I like to draw. My notebooks in school were 50/50 notes to doodles. Here’s a sample. Here’s a more legit drawing.
I love learning. I have completed a lot of schooling–my full name is actually Dayna Kaufman Lorentz, B.A., J.D.,M.F.A., Esq. If given the opportunity, I’d spend the rest of my life in school. Someday, I’m totally going to fourth college to become a professional Squidhunter. Around 2035, look for the article about me catching the first live giant squid. This will totally make up for all the above mentioned fish-related tragedies.
And I have a passion for writing. But for a long time, I told myself that writing couldn’t be what I “do.” It wasn’t a “safe” or “responsible” career; it was a job meant for other people, better people, shorter, thinner, smarter people; being a writer smelled terribly of you-haven’t grown-up-yet-have-you?
This is a story I hear from a lot of other writers. It seems to be common knowledge that attempting any type of creative endeavor is tantamount to bungee jumping without a rope. When I left the law to pursue writing full-time, many caring, smart, supportive friends and family members asked, Are you nuts?
Perhaps.
But a rather simple idea had taken hold of me: You can’t fail if you don’t try, but you also can’t succeed.
So I jumped. (Admittedly, with a rope, in the form of a very supportive spouse.)
I started taking writing classes. I liked them enough to commit to getting a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Literature from Bennington College.
Now that my kids are older, I’m actually adding “lawyer” back into the juggling act that is my life, so perhaps I should change my title to Vermont-based Writer-Mom-Lawyer-Squid Enthusiast-and-Eater of Cupcakes.
It’s going to be a doozy of a business card…