I live in Palm Springs, California, where I reside with my husband, Mike Breyer, and our dog, Bella. We moved to Palm Springs in June 2014 after living in West Hollywood for nearly forty years. I’m originally from Rhode Island and moved in with my uncle and aunt in Northern California when I was eleven years old due to the death of my parents. I’ve also lived and studied in Florence, Italy where I attend the University of Florence in 1967-8. Then, I became a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon, Africa for three years (1969-72) teaching English as a Second Language and building a school. From there, I moved to Los Angeles where I received a master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language from UCLA. Immediately after I graduated, I returned to Africa where I taught in an intensive English language program for professors at the University of Zaire in Lubumbashi, Zaire, now called The Republic of Congo. Upon returning to the United States, I immediately got a position directing and teaching in an intensive English language program for Jewish Vocational Service, which was responsible for the resettlement of thousands of Russian speaking refugees in Los Angeles area. Next, I was hired to teach ESL for the Los
Angeles Unified School District at Fairfax Community Adult School (CAS) where I eventually became a tenured teacher. Concurrently, I taught ESL part-time at Santa Monica College. From there I became a refugee program coordinator at Abram Friedman Occupational Center in downtown Los Angeles. Next, I was appointed assistant principal of El Camino Real Community Adult School in the west San Fernando Valley. I also served as acting principal for a year. Next, I was appointed principal of Fairfax Community Adult School. Finally, I became a regional adult school principal of Westside Community Adult School responsible for Fairfax, Hamilton, Pacific Palisades, and University Adult Schools in West Los Angeles. When I retired in 2009, I taught ESL part time at the American Language School at UCLA Extension in Westwood for three years. In Palm Springs I taught ESL part time at the College of the Desert for two years. I no longer teach, but I spend most of my time publishing ESL textbooks, comic books, and supplementary teaching materials as well as art books through my publishing company, Hamel Publications. About the Author 1
In 2016, through the influence of my husband, I found myself in the film business as an executive producer and an actor. I became a partner in FROGG1 Productions that recently produced a full-feature film called Gradation. In addition to publishing and film producing, I also found time to enjoy creating digital art using the skills I developed using Adobe Photo Shop and InDesign over the years. My first piece of art was a simple mandala made of images of rare postage stamps. The mandala was a present for a friend and local stamp dealer. Then, I began looking into the history of ancient art of mandalas and decided to create
modern “quirky” ones that would show “my path in life.” It three years to complete fifty mandalas and kaleidoscopes. I found it very relaxing and mentally challenging. I plan on continuing work in computer graphics, so I wrote this book as a catalog of my creations. The Palm Springs lifestyle fits us well. We have the freedom to do what we want, when we want, and with whom we want in a calm and lowkey environment. We no longer worry about L.A. traffic, parking meters, or billboards. We enjoy the privacy of our home, the ability to see the stars at night, and to dream about and make happen our next creative projects.
Angeles Unified School District at Fairfax Community Adult School (CAS) where I eventually became a tenured teacher. Concurrently, I taught ESL part-time at Santa Monica College. From there I became a refugee program coordinator at Abram Friedman Occupational Center in downtown Los Angeles. Next, I was appointed assistant principal of El Camino Real Community Adult School in the west San Fernando Valley. I also served as acting principal for a year. Next, I was appointed principal of Fairfax Community Adult School. Finally, I became a regional adult school principal of Westside Community Adult School responsible for Fairfax, Hamilton, Pacific Palisades, and University Adult Schools in West Los Angeles. When I retired in 2009, I taught ESL part time at the American Language School at UCLA Extension in Westwood for three years. In Palm Springs I taught ESL part time at the College of the Desert for two years. I no longer teach, but I spend most of my time publishing ESL textbooks, comic books, and supplementary teaching materials as well as art books through my publishing company, Hamel Publications. About the Author 1
In 2016, through the influence of my husband, I found myself in the film business as an executive producer and an actor. I became a partner in FROGG1 Productions that recently produced a full-feature film called Gradation. In addition to publishing and film producing, I also found time to enjoy creating digital art using the skills I developed using Adobe Photo Shop and InDesign over the years. My first piece of art was a simple mandala made of images of rare postage stamps. The mandala was a present for a friend and local stamp dealer. Then, I began looking into the history of ancient art of mandalas and decided to create
modern “quirky” ones that would show “my path in life.” It three years to complete fifty mandalas and kaleidoscopes. I found it very relaxing and mentally challenging. I plan on continuing work in computer graphics, so I wrote this book as a catalog of my creations. The Palm Springs lifestyle fits us well. We have the freedom to do what we want, when we want, and with whom we want in a calm and lowkey environment. We no longer worry about L.A. traffic, parking meters, or billboards. We enjoy the privacy of our home, the ability to see the stars at night, and to dream about and make happen our next creative projects.