Melissa enjoys writing poetry for its unique capacity to distill and convey an idea or feeling in a short form. She is an active member of Paradigm Poets in Los Angeles, CA, Ventura County Writer's Club and a longtime student of Doraine Poretz.  Her poetry has been published in Common Ground Review, Askew, In the Spotlight, Quintessence Anthology 2008, and Windows Anthology 2010.

Melissa received her B.A. in Studio Art at Scripps College and is a multi-talented artist, working professionally in stained glass and mosaics.  She lives in Simi  Valley, CA with her Golden Retriever, Molly.