Mairs, Nancy, 1943-

Author, poet, scholar, professor and self-described as a "non political feminist," Nancy Pedrick Smith Mairs, Ph.D. is well known for her autobiographical texts that speak about her life and her struggles with the debilitating disease, Multiple Sclerosis. Born July 23, 1943, in Long Beach, California, Mairs received an A.B. in English Literature from Wheaton College, an MFA in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Arizona. She has taught writing on the high school and university level. Nancy Mairs is the author of nine books and countless newspaper and magazine articles. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Western States Book Award in 1984 for In All the Rooms of the Yellow House. Her writings have been regularly reviewed in the New York Times and on National Public Radio. Ms. Mairs currently lives in Tucson, AZ with her husband of thirty-nine years, George Mairs.