Rumpf, Eva Augustin 1939–

(Eva Elise Augustin Rumpf)

PERSONAL: Born July 27, 1939, in New Orleans, LA; daughter of Richard (a federal civil servant) and Maxine (a homemaker; maiden name, Cook) Augustin; married William Rumpf (a computer programmer), August 13, 1961; children: Rebecca Vaughn, Andrew, Margaret, Timothy. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Elmhurst College, B.A., 1961; Marquette University, M.A., 1977. Politics: Democrat. Religion: United Church of Christ. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, bicycling, bird watching, travel.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Glenridge Publishing Ltd., 19923 E. Long Ave., Centennial, CO 80016. E-mail—berumpf@ milwpc.com.

CAREER: Writer, 191 A—. Milwaukee Journal, Milwaukee, WI, reporter, 1976–80; public relations manager, 1980–90; Marquette University, Milwaukee, adjunct faculty, 1990–95; Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, instructor and student media advisor, 1995–2000; University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee, Milwaukee, instructor, 2004.

MEMBER: Council for Wisconsin Writers.

WRITINGS:

(With Beverly J. Grottkau) Till Divorce Do Us Part: A Practical Guide for Women in Troubled Marriages, Glenbridge Publishing (Centennial, CO), 1996.

Prot U (e-book; satirical novel), Booklocker.com, 2004.

Contributor of several hundred articles to magazines and newspapers.

WORK IN PROGRESS: A memoir of the author's girlhood in New Orleans.

SIDELIGHTS: Eva Augustin Rumpf told CA: "I write mainly because I love to write, whether it's articles, stories, essays, remembrances, or even letters and e-mail. When I write I know I'm alive; I know my thoughts and my feelings and what I care about. As I express myself in writing, I reaffirm myself. Afterwards, I get great satisfaction when I know I have connected with someone through what I have written, that my words have instructed or moved or entertained another.

"Reading, more than anything, has influenced my desire to write. I have been an avid reader since childhood. Books have fed my imagination, my knowledge, and my creativity. Books have life and personality, and I absorb them into my soul.

"For much of my writing, I draw on my own experiences. Wherever I find myself, I seem to have a keen awareness of context and good observation skills. These impressions and sensations are noted and stored away to be drawn from later. An idea or theme may gnaw at me for a while until it demands to be tackled and worked on. Occasionally a subject will emerge suddenly when I haven't been aware that I've been thinking on it. Often I don't know where it will lead me.

"The idea for my novel Prot U floated around in my head for almost a year. By the time I sat down to write it, I had the opening and closing scenes in mind, but wasn't definite about what came in between. But once I created the characters, they took off and carried the story."