I grew up on an Illinois farm in the middle of a field. On the north side, a line of trees broke the cold wind. To the south was an old cemetery, guarded by an iron fence; everything else lay far beyond.
I refused the local high school, reading extensively instead, and attended community college as soon as I could. From there, I went to St. Paul, Minnesota: Bethel University, and a magna cum laude in Literature and Writing.
Over the last two decades, I’ve trained horses and dogs, published pop culture critiques, organized open mic nights, taught literature, produced music, knit lace, trained as a naturalist, and worked both as a bookseller and at my local library. Several years ago, my health collapsed under the long term effects of C-PTSD. My next task was more difficult: learning how to care for myself and my body.
Today I live near Chicago, in a little town along the Fox River with my partner, two cats, and a few hardy houseplants. My writing here is an attempt to move towards wholeness by observing nature, reading excellent books, and recording the work of living with chronic pain and mental illness.
I favor personal and film essays, fiction, poetry, and interviewing great authors. My published writing can be found here. If you have any questions or queries, drop me a line at catherine@viapositiva.net.
