Forthcoming From Riverhead Books in October:

You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know is a powerfully moving account of childhood lost and regained, while grappling with the perils of face blindness, a rare condition that, even at the best of times, can create a confusing sensory masquerade. --Diane Ackerman, author of Dawn Light Heather Sellers is a glorious writer. You Don't Look Like Anyone I know is an astonishing book. – Jane Hamilton, author of Book of Ruth

You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know is the story of my quest to see clearly. It all began with a chance remark at my twentieth high school reunion, which, in turn led me to discover a disturbing family medical secret. Researching the inherited condition, I came upon a phrase that would unexpectedly change my life: face recognition. Up to this point, I knew nothing about the tiny part of the human brain called the fusiform face area, where, when we are confronted with a human face, a sophisticated series of perception processes begins instantaneously. Or in my case, does not begin. Face blindness? I’d never heard of such a thing. Was not being able to recognize my family members a key part of being related to them? My memoir tells the story.

Coming out from Bedford St. Martins in a second edition soon

The Practice of Creative Writing

The Practice of Creative Writing is for the introductory mixed-genre creative writing classroom. I've read student creative writing for almost 20 years, and written a great heap of it myself. This is what I've noticed: We learn all these rules. Then someone brings something to class and it ignores all the rules and its amazing. How? Why? My teacher, Jerry Stern, used to say it was good if it was interesting. I wanted to find a way to teach my students how to avoid being boring on the page. Read on...