About Elizabeth Bennefeld

My husband Al and I live in Fargo, North Dakota. Since 1984, I've been working as a freelance writer and editor, doing business as The Written Word, specializing in academic style editing. I've also edited novels, nonfiction, and professional articles for publication. Before that, I spent over fifteen years in bank computer operations and a bit less than a year working as a computer programmer. I've written poetry since grade school (first science fiction poem written in fifth grade) and book reviews since my college years, and some of my poems, stories, reviews, and essays have been published.

I earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and philosophy. I started out in mathematics and the sciences, but switched to the humanities at the beginning of my junior year. I never lost my love of computers or the sciences, though.

Al works as a computer programmer, these days, but was a field technician for Unisys/Burroughs for many years. We're learning more about computer networking and the Linux operating system, and we've put together a lot of computers out of spare parts for our home network, my mother (although she's since upgraded a couple times), and Al's mother. Al and I share a love of astronomy, music, storm spotting (Skywarn volunteers through our amateur radio group), and books by William Sanders and Candace Robb. I also enjoy novels by Julie Czerneda, Mindy Klasky, Wen Spencer, and Louise Marley. We're jointly owned by two cocker spaniels, Ladd and Rascal, who add a lot of activity and occasional crises to our lives.

There have been many writers and artists in our family trees. My sister Christine Murphy writes science fiction, fantasy, and suspense novels, which are published by The Hard Shell Word Factory. (Pretty good stuff!) My mother has written two genealogy books, the first of which came out in July 2002, a pictorial memoire, and has spoken of writing up her Navy experiences during World War II. Al's family has produced some excellent artists and singers, and in February 2002 Al bought himself a used tenor saxophone and started taking private lessons.

Al and I process work units for the Seti@home project. I am active in my local Friends Meeting and maintain its Web site. In September 2002, after more than three years on staff, I resigned my position as the copy editor for the Inner Voices section of Moondance: Celebrating Creative Women, a quarterly e-zine. For three years, I served as Website Coder for the Science Fiction Poetry Association (and, very briefly, as Interim Secretary). Al (K0CGY) and I (KC0LOF) work with CROP Walk, the Alzheimer Association's Memory Walk, and other annual fundraisers as amateur radio communications volunteers.