She has published poetry, non-fiction, science fiction, and translations of Swedish literature.

[2] She began her career writing poetry and about poets, including a 1984 book about James Merrill, who was both her friend and mentor.

[3] She did not publish science fiction until 1986, but gained almost immediate attention by winning the first Theodore Sturgeon Award in 1987.

It is noted both for its treatment of alien sexuality and as an example of Quakers in science fiction.

[4] In the following year, 1988, she won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction.