Words from the Heart

Kathleen Fearing is a writer extraordinaire!  Her latest book, Caught in the Crossfire, an anthology of poems about children living with war, is a hauntingly insightful look at the suffering forced on the innocent who have no way of understanding what is happening to their world or why it is that way. I had the honor to interview Kathleen about her book this week.      Welcome, Kathleen!  I am so excited to have you as a guest on the blog.  So, let's begin - what inspires you to write poetry?  First of all, I want to thank you, Linda, for agreeing to be a part of my latest book of poems, Caught in the Crossfire – Poems of Children in War . It was such a creative and rewarding project and I’m thrilled with the results.  As far as my inspiration, I don’t know if I can put my finger on it, but years ago, I was reading a book that was written in verse for young people . My imagination went through the roof because it was so different and ...

  Kath and I on top of Mt. Greylock This post is written by a special guest, Kath Fearing, my friend and fellow writer/poet. Many women write better, more creatively, more cleverly than I do, but I’ve come to realize that that is not the point. The point is that I write – not to be the same as someone else, but because it allows me to be the individual I am, and it fulfills me in a way that nothing else does. Simply put, writing makes me feel whole, creative, and so alive. Writing what’s in my heart is like opening a door – closed tight through a long, cold, tiresome winter – and letting in the sweet fresh air of spring. In my stories for children, I write about flawed characters; aren’t we all flawed in some way? However, my characters find out who they are at the end of my stories. In addition, they become comfortable with, and accepting of, who they are, or who they have become. It is my hope for my readers to understand and accept who they are, and to accept those around the...

Several years ago, I met a wonderful, creative woman, Kathleen Fearing (Kath). We took to each other instantly, having very similar interests. One of our shared dreams was to publish our writing. I am so excited to announce that Kath has not only published her book, but has also honored me with an interview to promote it. Before our interview, let me give you a little bio of my dear friend, Kathleen Fearing. Kathleen Fearing is a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators( SCBWI ), The Knoxville Writer’s Guild, and the Tennessee Mountain Writers Association Kath has had four stories and a poem published at www.storiesforchildrenmagazine.org. She won fourth place in the Writer’s Digest 76th Annual Writing Competition in the children’s category. Another of her stories was chosen by the Maryland State Department of Education for use in their 2011 assessment testing. She has a doctorate in education and taught children’s literature, as well as other courses at various...