As a teenager, she got involved with the theatre and focused her collegiate studies on costume design and theatrical history at Tulane University.
[1] After college, Essex briefly modeled in Europe before returning to the U. S. where she found an entrée into the film industry as a costume designer.
[3] In 1994, Essex moved to Nashville, where she worked as a music journalist and taught writing workshops at Vanderbilt University’s Women’s Center.
[4] In 1992, while studying women’s history, Essex discovered that the historical Cleopatra had little to do with the Elizabeth Taylor creation that existed in the popular imagination.
AudioFile magazine gave the audiobook recording its Earphones Award, calling the story "the real deal" and writing that narrator Bianca Amato "gives Mina a measured, deeply felt emotional depth that brings her alive and keeps listeners engaged.