Education

B.A., English and Women's Studies, University of Connecticut
M.F.A., Dramatic Writing, Carnegie Mellon

Background

Margaret Cook previously worked as the director of programs at Reading is Fundamental Pittsburgh. There, she drove a bookmobile, oversaw a virtual mentoring program, and performed storytimes across the city. Prior to that, she was one-half of the do-it-yourself puppetry duo Miniature Curiosa, bringing multimedia puppet spectacles to theaters, art galleries and bowling alleys around the country.

Research

Cook is interested in the ways spectacle can foster early literacy skills and strengthen bonds between caregiver and child. Her focus includes creative outreach strategies, bookmobiles, puppetry, and children’s literature.

Personal

Cook lives in Columbia with her partner and two cats. She is obsessed with wonder and collects ephemera that documents the human pursuit of it. Her primary collection is from Pittsburgh’s Luna Park (1905-1909), a lost amusement park.