Look and Listen

Biography

I am a 34 year old author and poet who has been writing for over half of my life. My first poem, "My Favorite Color Is Pink", was published in a local paper when I was 9 years old. Since then, I have received many awards for my achievements in poetry as well as a nomination for one of the "Best Poets of the 90's". I have also written two self-help books on the chronic condition, Fibromyalgia. These two books are very near and dear to my heart because I wrote them as my antidote to the syndrome after being diagnosed with it myself, in late 2005. These two books are gaining so much popularity on the internet, that I have been recently named as one of Lulu's top-selling creators for my efforts. I reside in Connecticut with my husband, two daughters, two cats, two frogs, ten tropical fish, and twenty indoor plants. Our apartment can be a bit cramped from time to time, but it's filled with lots of love. I enjoy indoor gardening and yoga with my 7 year old daughter and I have been known to do a bit of karaoke every now and again when my husband and I can get out of the house. My other interests include reading, crocheting, and watching WWE wrestling with my whole family.

Inspiration

I have always loved to read Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson, even as a young child. Shakespeare's play on words always intrigued me and Dickinson's basic metaphors throughout her poetry fascinated me. When I first started to write poetry, I started to mimic both authors. Writing was just something fun for me to do when I was young. I dabbled with it all through my growing years and didn't give my writings much thought until high school. High school is always a difficult time for anyone, and I was no different. I started to use my writing as an outlet for me to cope with what was happening to my life when a friend of mine died unexpectedly at the age of 16. I wasn't an angry teen, but I did wind up questioning the meaning and purpose of life at that time. Poetry was just a way for me to express my thoughts. One of my teachers at the time read the poem "Jimmie" and encouraged me to get it published. I was flattered, but I still didn't see the "big deal" with my scribbles as I called them. He assured me that the poem was good by saying, "Kim, you can tell if a poem is good if the kids (students) don't get it." I started to understand what he meant once I reached college and decided to finally publish my poetry. I became published again and started receiving awards for my achievements in poetry in 1993. I haven't put down my Bic pen since then.