M. Molly Backes is the author of the young adult novel The Princesses of Iowa (Candlewick Press, 2012). She has performed her personal essays at reading series across Chicago including Essay Fiesta, Funny Ha-Ha, Sunday Salon, and Is This a Thing? Follow her on twitter at @mollybackes.
I made work in any little spare minute I could... Everything was scattered and all over the place, and the question was: how can you grab this moment and live it as hard as you possibly can?