Finding the Human Story in Facts and Fiction

Published September 8, 2026 | Request Information

The tattoo on Christina Bailey’s right bicep isn’t just body art. It’s a conversation starter.

The ink depicts a ship from one of Ursula K. Le Guin’s novels, a tribute to one of her favorite authors. Every so often, someone recognizes the literary reference, and the exchange inevitably turns to books, writing, and imagination.

For Bailey, stories have always left a lasting mark.

Today, she helps support researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. As an administrative project specialist, she manages the Center’s calendars, events, and logistics, helping researchers focus on developing public health solutions that reduce deaths and injuries from gun violence.

In May 2026, Bailey reached another milestone, graduating from the Johns Hopkins MA in Writing program after taking advantage of the university’s employee tuition benefit. Rather than pursuing a more conventional graduate degree, she followed the creative path that had quietly shaped her life for years, completing the program over five years while working full time.

“I’m glad it took that long,” she says. “If I had sped through it, I wouldn’t have learned as much. I needed time to let everything sink in. The university’s tuition benefits are amazing, and I feel so grateful for them. I know this is something I would have regretted not doing, and it is so gratifying to now have a Hopkins degree.”

Bailey had always written but struggled to think of herself as a writer. Her family – including her husband, whom she met when they studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art – and her colleagues at Hopkins, who “love and value education,” encouraged her to pursue that passion.

She honed her writing through JHU’s Odyssey Writing Workshops, which were led by freelance editor Tracy Gold. Later, she submitted a sample of her work for critique during Baltimore’s CityLit Festival. The reviewer assigned to her piece happened to be Karen Houppert, director of the MA in Writing program.

“She really liked my piece and encouraged me to apply.”

The graduate program challenged Bailey to become not only a stronger writer, but also a more thoughtful reader and listener. The lessons she learned in art school – accepting feedback, solving creative problems, and thinking deeply about her work – proved just as valuable in the writing classroom.

“I thought I was neglecting my art education by focusing on writing, but I realized it’s not about how I’m creating. It’s about what I’m trying to say. I needed this degree because I would not have been able to teach myself to be as structured as I wanted to be.

“The faculty are fantastic teachers and published authors who are deeply committed to the craft,” she continued. “They pushed us, drew us in as writers, and encouraged us to experiment. It makes writing so much more accessible when you are learning from people who are working in a creative field and alongside classmates from all walks of life who share the passion and perseverance to dedicate themselves to a program like this.”

Her thesis, Imitation Days, is a collection of four interconnected speculative fiction stories that flourish at the boundaries of literary fiction, echoing the imaginative storytelling of Le Guin’s work that first inspired her. Faculty praised its vivid prose, extensive world-building, authentic characters, and Bailey’s generous mentorship of classmates in selecting her as the program’s Outstanding Student Award recipient for Fiction.

Despite the recognition, she still wrestles with imposter syndrome.

“My thesis adviser, Evan James, made it seem possible to be a writer,” she said. “He always told me I could call myself a writer and feel good about telling people that.”

She’s still getting used to the idea.

“I think when I hang my diploma up,” she said with a laugh, “I’ll consider myself a writer.”

Today, Bailey continues to practice visual art while expanding her thesis into a book-length manuscript and pursuing writing residencies that provide uninterrupted time to work. She also sees opportunities to bring storytelling into her role at the Center for Gun Violence Solutions, noting that behind every statistic is a person with a story.

Publishing a book would be rewarding, but it isn’t her only measure of success.

“People always ask to read my work, and I tell them you can read it when it is published,” she said. “I do want friends, family, and colleagues to know that this is something that I am good at and passionate about, but it’s very personal. Once it is out of your hands, it is completely out of your control.”

Could Bailey someday become someone’s favorite author – or inspire another literary tattoo?

“That would be really cool,” she said, smiling at the possibility, “but I am not banking on it. I just know I’ll be writing for the rest of my life, whether I publish or not.”