Directions:
Create an author bio. This page should include some background information about you as a person; what your strengths as a writer are; and a photo with a caption.
Create an author bio. This page should include some background information about you as a person; what your strengths as a writer are; and a photo with a caption.
Dave Swank, Writing Teacher
Working with students.
My name is Dave Swank. My wife and I live squarely in the middle of nowhere with our three dogs. We have one child, Solee Wilder. I am originally from Ypsilanti, Michigan. I attended Michigan State University and Eastern Michigan University, where I earned my B.S. in English. I am still a huge Michigan State Spartans fan!
Before teaching writing, I taught 6-8 language arts at TCMS, and 7th grade language arts at Holland Middle School in Houston, TX. I was a successful high school swimming and water polo coach for 8 years, winning six league championships and a state title. One of my former athletes is an Olympic silver medalist and World Champion. She'll be competing in London this summer.
When I'm not working, I enjoy hiking in the Black Hills, riding my bike, and kayaking. In the fall, I like to spend my time pheasant and deer hunting.
Most of my favorite works to read are novels. Jack Kerouac and Ernest Hemingway are two of my favorite authors. But it's the work of memoirists and short story writers like Sandra Cisneros and Ralph Fletcher that really inspire me as a writer. Reading a short vignette that can convey a great deal of depth is something I strive for in my own writing.
As a writer, I prefer the craft associated with the narrative mode. If I had to choose just one genre to stick with, I would probably choose to write memoir. I think that telling your own story is important.
Before teaching writing, I taught 6-8 language arts at TCMS, and 7th grade language arts at Holland Middle School in Houston, TX. I was a successful high school swimming and water polo coach for 8 years, winning six league championships and a state title. One of my former athletes is an Olympic silver medalist and World Champion. She'll be competing in London this summer.
When I'm not working, I enjoy hiking in the Black Hills, riding my bike, and kayaking. In the fall, I like to spend my time pheasant and deer hunting.
Most of my favorite works to read are novels. Jack Kerouac and Ernest Hemingway are two of my favorite authors. But it's the work of memoirists and short story writers like Sandra Cisneros and Ralph Fletcher that really inspire me as a writer. Reading a short vignette that can convey a great deal of depth is something I strive for in my own writing.
As a writer, I prefer the craft associated with the narrative mode. If I had to choose just one genre to stick with, I would probably choose to write memoir. I think that telling your own story is important.