Karolyn

When I was 10 years old, I wanted to be a poet like the Irishman, Robert Burns. I read his poem, Sweet Afton when I was in the 6th grade. It grabbed me and never let go:

“Flow gently, sweet Afton! amang thy green braes/Flow gently, I’ll sing thee a song in thy praise/My Mary’s asleep by thy murmuring stream/Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream…” ( A song version of Sweet Afton is on Nickel Creek’s debut album, produced by Alison Krauss, and it’s lovely.)

I have published my writing, including (and starting with poetry) since I was 21; I am now 50. I have published essays, literary critiques, short stories, flash fiction (just really, really short fiction) and other forms of writing in various literary magazines, off and online.

I am now working on a three-part, fiction, manuscript (it isn’t a book until it’s bound, so don’t let people fool with you by saying, “I’m writing a book” cuz, nah, they’re not, really.

I am an avid reader; do yoga; love to walk; play with my kitten, Gizmo—a photo of him is my Avatar; spend time with my husband (we’ve been together 23-years, and we take ‘till death do us part’ seriously.

I hate shopping anywhere but thrift stores, in person, here in Murray, Utah, so this place drew me. We’ll see if I can find some honest, detail-minded women to trade clothing (I have some good clothing, especially Fresh Market skirts, that no longer fit me—I bought ‘em when I gained quite a bit of weight from Prednisone, a drug no one should take unless dying or something close would be the alternative. I’m still healing from the drug poisoning, and finally, getting back toward my normal size. And books, maybe: I am an “intellectual”, so I’m not feeling really hopeful about that kind of trading, but we’ll see.

“Never was too comfortable with the fit of a box, which feels too much like a coffin, and I figure I’ll be in one of those soon enough.” (I said that, and I like it.)