Lynda Smith Hoggan has been a professional gift shop duster, bra strap counter, playground instructor, army base secretary, garment district house model, barmaid, go-go dancer, English teacher in the ‘hood, health teacher in the barrio, technical writer, sex educator, college professor, as well as an amateur martini taster.
At age six she debuted her first poem, titled, “Her face was the color of peaches and cream, with strawberry juice in between.” Fortunately, she improved enough to win her high school’s poetry award and since then has published an array that includes poems and newspaper articles, sexuality columns and newsletters, academic journal articles, pages on a state website, personal essays, and finally her debut memoir. She also won First Place in a conference writing contest. See Awards & Publications for that list.
Lynda’s formal education includes a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Education from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from UCLA. She holds the title of Professor Emeritus after teaching Health and Human Sexuality at Mt. San Antonio College in Southern California for twenty-five years.
Lynda says, “Besides writing, favorite activities include reading an amazing book that I immediately want to start over; shaking my a** with my friends or my man in a funky R&B club; laughing till I can’t stop; kissing till I don’t want to stop; morning coffee; happy hour martinis; evening bubble baths; falling asleep by a campfire to the sounds of owls and coyotes; and appreciating nature’s bounty. Among other things.”