Anne is a writer, educator, labor organizer, and former truck driver. She earned a PhD in Literature from the University of Chicago, after which she became a car mechanic. Though she later returned to academia as a professor at the University of Illinois, Indiana University Northwest, and Haverford College, she never lost her interest in blue-collar work environments.

‍
When Balay moved to Gary, Indiana, to teach, she immediately became interested in the steel industry of the region. She subsequently wrote Steel Closets, a book that tells the stories of gay, lesbian, and trans workers within the mill community. Anne then attended commercial truck-driving school, got her CDL, and drove over the road. Oral histories of truck drivers she collected in 2016 have led to her book, Semi Queer. Anne is now an organizer for SEIU, working with adjunct faculty in Boston. She continues to be a cherished member of the community of truck drivers that’s at the center of DRIVER.