About Me

My name is Jill (she/her) and I am a reference librarian, writer, historian, and researcher with a passion for the past and helping people connect to the stories that surround us. Through my work at the Wisconsin Historical Society, I help people discover their families’ stories and facilitate access to incredible historical research collections.

As an independent Alcott scholar, I write and co-host a history podcast called Let Genius Burn on the life and legacy of Louisa May Alcott. I have presented on Alcott for a variety of museums and libraries, as well as at the Bearing Untold Stories symposium at Lancaster University and the 2023 Thoreau Society Annual Gathering in Concord, Massachusetts. I am a proud member of the Louisa May Alcott Society and currently serve as the head of the LMA Society Archives Committee.

I have worked as a museum educator, historical interpreter, and genealogy librarian. I cowrote a local history book on Boone County, Illinois and received the 2016 Priem Award from the Boone County Historic Preservation Commission.

I live with my family in Wisconsin where I study, write, and present on Alcott; I also research other American women writers, and write my own poetry. I also love gardening, walking, good coffee, reading, planning for our next Ireland trip, and baking bread.