I was inspired to write Bachelor Girl by the true story of a mysterious bequest in 1939 to an unknown actress by the millionaire owner of the New York Yankees baseball team. My research for the novel took me to mansions along the Hudson River, archives at the Baseball Hall of Fame, and revivals of Broadway shows first produced in the 1920s.

My debut novel, Orphan #8, was sparked by my interest in the Jewish orphanage in Manhattan where my grandfather, Victor Berger, and his brothers, Charlie and Seymour, grew up. My great-grandmother, Fannie Berger, worked at the orphanage, first as a domestic and later as a counselor. Many of the characters and events in Orphan #8 were inspired by my family history.

My creative nonfiction essays have appeared in literary journals including Alaska Quarterly Review, CutBank, and So To Speak. I was born in New York, NY, and earned a BA in English from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and an MA and PhD in English from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I’m a Professor in the English Department at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania where I teach writing.

About my name: My late father emigrated from the Netherlands after World War II, so my name is Dutch. Here's how to pronounce “van Alkemade”. If you can’t find my novels under “V” for “van” in the bookstore, check the “A” shelf for “Alkemade” just in case they were misplaced!