I am a poet, nonfiction writer, translator, and editor, and much of my work concerns my travels abroad. I have written books on the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the wars of succession in the former Yugoslavia, and the spiritual home of Eastern Orthodox monasticism. As director of the International Writing Program, I have undertaken cultural diplomacy missions to more than fifty countries. And every fall I have the good luck to host thirty-some distinguished poets and writers from around the world.

My primary teaching and research areas are Family Law and International Family Law, with a particular interest in cross-border children's law and children's rights. I chair the board of the US branch of International Social Service (ISS-USA) and have attended treaty negotiation and review meetings in The Hague and elsewhere on the Hague Children's Conventions.