June 2025
Born in Wilmington, Delaware, Gwen Nelson moved to upstate New York at age seven to live with her mother, who was a photographer and machinist— one of only two women working in the machine shop. Her stepfather was a machinist, and her father a champion pugilist (boxer) and professional hockey player. Gwen attended convent boarding school in Pittsburgh, and in high school was active as a basketball player, majorette, and cheerleader. While attending Western Michigan University, Gwen worked three jobs and later transferred to the University of Detroit, where she earned an education and liberal arts degree. Gwen went on to live in New York state with her son, and was a high school teacher for 34 years in Syracuse and Rochester, as well as in Michigan. While teaching, Gwen volunteered for 20 years at prisons, meeting with prisoners as a group to examine their lives with a new perspective. She also volunteered at an NPR radio station, reading aloud for blind listeners.
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