Laura Bjerk studied at Bemidji State University long enough to have memorized the smell of certain bathrooms (it’s those freaky Glade automatics: unforgettable.) She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education, emphasis in Communication Arts and Literature. As an undergraduate, she also earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Creative and Professional Writing – a degree she is quite happy to see finally working in her favor. Because she so loved going to school (or smelling the bathrooms?), Laura stayed at BSU to teach College Writing I and II and work on her Master’s degree in English. It’s just the thesis left now. (Isn’t that always the case?)

In her fourth year teaching at Red Lake Middle School, Laura is kind of starting to “get” seventh graders. What an age. She teaches language arts, science and reading throughout the day and is very glad to be able to say that her job is not “boring”. She lives in Bemidji with her husband, Adam – a fellow contributor - and her Basset Hound, Montgomery, in a house that’s quite old but lovely.

Laura’s interests include both the act of writing and the talking about doing it (see “It’s just the thesis left now”, above), reading, poetry, photography, fawning over her dog, visits with loved ones, spending time at her family’s cabin near Mille Lacs lake, dancing, and wild and crazy weekends with Mr. Jonathan Hatch. He fawns over her dog, too.