JULIE CONNER

I grew up in Lancaster, PA, and spent summers in my backyard pretending it was another world, another time, or a giant amusement park. My friends and I were the original Phineas and Ferb!

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​When I wasn’t outside putting my imagination to work, I was inside reading. The Little House on the Prairie and the Emily of New Moon books were my favorites.

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In middle school and high school, I read anything I could get my hands on from Barbara Cartland novels to Shakespeare. I wrote poetry in the edges of my class notes and character sketches on scraps of paper.

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I graduated with a BA in history from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and an MA in Archives, Museums, and Editing History from Duquesne University. My goal? To slip behind the velvet ropes and touch history. Before I could fully achieve it though, a diagnosis of Primary Lateral Sclerosis sidelined my dreams. It robbed me of the ability to walk and use my arms in the space of three years.

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Today, whether I'm working on my column, writing fiction, or uncovering historical facts, I do it all hands-free using a HeadMouse camera and an on-screen keyboard. (To see pictures of them, click the glasses at the top of the page).

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​I live near Pittsburgh, PA, with my wonderful, hockey-obsessed husband and two curious cats.