Elva Maxine Beach was born to a family of preachers, teachers, and storytellers; for her, the twin monikers writer and professor seem only natural. Beach is an award-winning creative writing and English professor with a wide array of writing experiences behind her. Over the years, she has worked in advertising as a copywriter, been commissioned as a playwright, employed as a theater critic, produced independent videos and films, and served as literary magazine editor. Recently, Beach has organized and performed at standing-room-only erotica readings. Not surprisingly, she has also held the usual series of glamorous day jobs that bring the gritty authenticity and capital necessary to support a writerly way of life; car hop, waitress, usher, maid, janitor and dishwasher.

The psyche-sexual dramas that have become Beach’s oeuvre are the subject of her first book length publication, Neurotica. This short story cycle is a provocative collection of explicit stories chronicling the narrator’s intimate journey from sensual awakening to spiritual transcendence. “I wanted to capture the reality of my own spiritual travels through a fictionalized accounting of the sexcapades I have both lived and imagined.” Neurotica was published by New Belleville Press in June 2008 (newbellevillepress.com).

Beach is currently settling into her new position as Associate Professor of English at St. Louis Community College at Meramec.