Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

What, Why, How: Pat Barnes

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Pat Barnes has a new poetry book! Pat was originally featured on my What, Why, How blog series in March 2019. With the publication of her new poetry book, I decided to reblog her feature to include updated information. Cup of Home Cup of Home was published by Kelsay Books in 2019, but due to COVID-19, Pat recently had her book release part to coincide with an exhibit of her artwork at … [Read more...]

Courageous Memoir of a Restless Life

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Self examination isn’t easy. Writing about it is even harder. Nancy Owen Nelson was an army brat whose military father struggled with depression and alcoholism. She says about her family constantly moving from army base to army base, including Alaska, Indiana, Texas and Oklahoma: “I was angry and sad. I don’t think I really blamed anybody. Why should I? It was always like this. I had to go … [Read more...]

What, Why, How Laura Rueckert

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What: I've just released my debut YA fantasy novel A Dragonbird in the Fern. I'm usually inspired to write by "What If" questions: in this case, what if a princess had to marry someone and they didn't share a common language? And then because my children were struggling with dyslexia while growing up bilingually, what if this princess who was thrust into investigating a murder while learning a … [Read more...]

Donald H. Rumsfeld, America’s Poet

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Found poetry: The recent passing of Donald Rumsfeld, the former Secretary of Defense, reminded me I’d found a book of his poetry that at a garage sale years ago. Well, it's not actually Rumsfeld's poetry. Rather, it's "found poetry" composed from his talks, speeches and Q&A answers, as compiled and (brilliantly) edited by Hart Seely, published in 2009. In found poetry, poets refashion … [Read more...]

What, Why, How: Kim Peters Fairley

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What:  My second book, Shooting Out the Lights is my first memoir which will be out on July 27 through She Writes Press. I began as a visual artist. As a child I enjoyed drawing and photography and was encouraged to continue in art by teachers when I won various art awards in elementary school and high school. Most of my art focused on my family. For instance, I won first prize and free … [Read more...]