It’s me, hi. I'm Ali Smith, a Gen X Gemini writer, editor, educator, research geek, and lifelong learner. 

 

As a college professor of 15-plus years, I taught literature, composition, and women’s studies classes at the University of Central Florida and Seminole State College.

 

Right before the pandemic, I left higher education and taught K-3 in Orange County Public Schools for a blip of time. I wasn't prepared for just how hard and heartbreaking this teaching experience would be.

 

Now, I'm focused on advocacy for the bevy of inequities that define our entire educational system here in Florida, mental health awareness, reproductive rights and body autonomy, and LGBTQIA+ issues.

 

 

I'm writing short pieces for publication (creative nonfiction with a pinch of social commentary). Also, I'm working on a collection of essays surrounding memory, loss, sexuality, what is“home,” healing, how the body keeps score, and growing up in Central Florida.

 

What keeps me grounded? Swimming, daydreaming, “equal breathing,” or Sama Vritti in Sanskrit, and The Mindful Writing Workshop every Sunday.