It was on a perfectly normal day, as Kate rushed along to preschool, that she first suspected there might be something a bit unusual about herself. Stepping up to a curb, broken glass left in the gutter caught her eye and took her breath away. While her mother’s hand tugged on hers to keep walking, Kate wanted to linger, to look closer at the green glass glittering in the sunlight, between curling, brown oak leaves. In that brief moment, she awoke to the fact that most of the world saw such things as mere “garbage,” or even “a danger,” especially for small hands. Kate realized she was different, because while she understood the reasoning behind those arguments, she held tight to another truth—it was beautiful.

She silently vowed to stay true to herself, take the time to look closely, and continue to marvel at the world.

Kate lived her early years in the western suburbs of Chicago, IL, where she spent much of her free time outside in any quiet nook she could find—underneath bushes were best, and some of her favorite friends were tiny frogs. Her early scribblings were mostly short poems or deeply-felt thoughts about nature, love, and the importance of kindness.

Kate’s father worked as the production manager of a fine arts center at a local college, so she attended countless play rehearsals and productions. Sitting in the catwalks became a familiar perch from which to observe and listen. Her love of story and character began within the walls of those three auditoriums.

The summer before fifth-grade, she moved north to a small town in southwestern Wisconsin, where she could stretch her legs, making trip after trip to the local library. When she reached high school, she got involved in theater, art, and music. To her, being involved in the fine arts was less about expressing herself and more about the feeling of being inside the art form—feeling the story in her body, connecting with the boards of a stage, reaching into what made a character who they were, interacting with pastels and paint, listening closely in order to join her voice with others through song. And always, there were wonderful books to dive into, stack up, and hold close.

The next two decades allowed Kate a chance to set down even deeper roots in the Driftless Area. Some of her experience includes working as a writing tutor, a tour guide at a local history museum, and a high school drama director. Her love of books led her to run a book club for middle school students and take an active role in fundraising for a new public library.

When not writing, Kate can be found outside, working to expand her native gardens, reading a good book, or spending time with her family.

Contact

kate@katemckinney.com