About Me
Sheila Luna is a writer from Arizona whose personal essays and poetry have been published in many print and online literary journals and magazines. Lately, she has been writing about health and illness, ability and disability, especially about her mother who had Alzheimer's dementia, as well as her own lifelong challenges with rheumatoid arthritis. Her goal is to use language to inform what goes on in our bodies and minds and try to find inspiration in the midst of loss. Her background in music and painting, along with her faith, are major influences in her writing. She was recently named a finalist for the 2024 Women on Writing Creative Nonfiction Award. Besides writing and publishing personal essays, she is at work on a collection of essays about her mother as well as her first novel. Sheila co-founded the Piper Writers Group, in Phoenix, Arizona, which includes a mix of local nonfiction writers that meet monthly. She has also served as a reviewer for independent literary journals.
Sheila recently retired from Arizona State University where, for thirty years, she managed the graduate program in the Department of English. She oversaw advising, funding and admissions. She also facilitated curriculum development, conducted orientations and workshops, and wrote articles for Accents on English and ASU News. Honored and grateful to have had this rewarding career in higher education, she is now delving deeper into her writing and devoting more time to volunteering in the community.
As a long-term care ombudsman with the Area Agency on Aging in Phoenix, Arizona, she advocates for residents living in assisted living homes. She is an acquisitions editor for AlzAuthors, the global community of authors who write about Alzheimer's and dementia from personal experience. This organization uses the power of storytelling to offer guidance, knowledge, and support to those with dementia and their family caregivers. In addition, she serves as an English as a Second Language tutor with the Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement program.
Sheila received a Bachelor of Arts in art history and a Master of Liberal Studies (creative nonfiction writing concentration) from Arizona State University. She is active in the Phoenix area literary community and has been invited to read from her work at various events. Her eclectic interests include baking, line dancing, studying languages, swimming, playing piano, and all things Irish. She is an avid collector of cookbooks and chip ‘n dips. But her favorite way to spend time is marveling at the stunning Arizona sunsets with her husband.
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