I was born and raised in Fullerton, California — left handed and an only child. I moved to San Francisco in 1991, where I finished my B.A. and M.A. degrees at SFSU. I moved to L.A. in 1997 for a doctoral program at USC — which I left in 1999 to pursue a full-time position at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Margaret Herrick Library.

My first love, since I was a kid — was for horror films — and, I definitely have held on to a fascination for things that scare or unnerve me. I also have a great love for Japanese films and culture. My all-time favorite filmmaker is Yasujiro Ozu.

My partner Paul and I live in Van Nuys with our cats, Buster and Hazel.