Heather Gemmen grew up on a hobby farm in Canada. Her father and mother, both immigrants from the Netherlands, were Christian people who opened their home to numerous children in the foster care system—some of whom still claim this family as their own even as adults. Gemmen's siblings by birth are all older than she. Gemmen attended a private Christian school and was surrounded by good friends and relatives all her life.
Gemmen became a United States citizen in 1995. During her marriage, Gemmen gave birth to three children and adopted one other. She used her BA in English to become a professional book editor. In 2004, she and her husband were divorced. Heather remarried a year later.
Send questions, comments and corrections to info@creativewritingmfa.info.
Disclaimer: No endorsement of these ratings should be implied by the writers and writing programs listed on this site, or by the editors and publishers of Best American Short Stories, Best American Essays, Best American Poetry, The O. Henry Prize Stories and The Pushcart Prize Anthology.