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Writer, Poet, Professor.
These three words hang beneath my name on the new website I recently created to showcase my work, and although each word is an accurate term for the daily jobs that I perform, a part of me is still surprised each time I see them blink across the screen.
For most of my life, I have been my parents’ daughter, my husband’s wife, my children’s mother. I have defined myself, as so many women do, by my relationships with others rather than by the titles I have earned through my work. I have written prose and poetry since I was a child. I have been teaching classes at local universities since my own children were born. But, when I first typed the words writer, poet, professor, beneath my name on the homepage of my website, it felt strange, as though I had cloaked my identity in restrictive business attire when it was used to lounging around in cozy pajamas.
I created my website to help promote The Fairy Tale Magazine, a publication that I love. It was Kate Wolford, the founder and publisher of The Fairy Tale Magazine (formerly Enchanted Conversation), who became my fairy godmother, helping me to turn the scribbles in my notebooks into stories and poems I could share with the world. A couple of those stories and poems can be found in printed books, but much of my published writing and many of my posts and book reviews can be found online, so I linked my work to my website along with some information about me and my teaching. I connected my website to my Facebook and Instagram accounts so that interested readers can follow me on social media, and, finally, I wrote my first blog post, “Salutations: Charlotte’s Web and the Invisibility of the Author”, an essay that explores one of my favorite childhood novels and the influence it still has on my reading and writing today.
I love being a daughter, a wife, and a mother, but collecting and sharing my work on my website has helped me to realize that I can also claim the titles of writer, poet, and professor to define key aspects of my identity. These titles don’t have to feel stiff and uncomfortable; the longer I wear them, the faster they will break in, wrapping around me like a favorite sweater that complements any outfit, no matter the season.
I plan to add more writing, information, and free giveaways to my website in the months and years to come. I want my website to be a place where friends can gather to learn more about fairy tales, books, writing, and literature. I hope my website will offer my followers a space to find inspiration, celebrate creativity, and enjoy the everyday enchantment that comes from being part of a reading and writing community.
