Toni Nealie is the author of The Miles Between Me, an essay collection about homeland, dispersal, heritage and family, by Curbside Splendor Publishing this month. Her essays have appeared in Guernica, The Prague Revue, The Offing, The Rumpus and Hobart. Her essay "the Displeasure of the Table" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Originally from New Zealand, she holds an MFA from Columbia College Chicago. She teaches, writes in Chicago, where she is Literary Editor of Newcity. Previously worked in magazines, politics, and public relations in the U.K. and her native New Zealand. This essay is part of a collection in progress about journeys and homelands. The Miles Between Me is available from independent local bookstores and Curbside Splendor Publishing from April 12th, and Amazon on May 3rd.