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The Write Method An award-winning poet and writer inspires us to follow our dreams BY SUE BALDANI
A
s soon as Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt of Bristow learned to read, she discovered the power of words. At around age 5, she started weaving her own tales. “I wrote these stories and poems about my pets, and then when I got a little older, I started writing this magazine called ‘Puppet Gossip,’” says Gotthardt. “It was a little like the National Enquirer, but covered the secret lives of my puppets. I gave it out to friends and family.” Poetry, she says, was definitely her first love. “I think a lot of it stemmed from the reading I did as a child, especially Dr. Seuss books. I loved rhymes in my earlier life and still have a high interest in and passion for trying to make my poems sound lyrical when they’re read out loud. So, even if they don’t rhyme, there is a rhythm and cadence to them.” This method and process has clearly worked well for her. Among the accolades she has attained, such as winning first place in the Virginia Writers Club statewide Golden Nib contest in the poetry category and first place in the free verse category of Loudoun County Library Foundation’s 2020 Rhyme On Poetry contest, Gotthardt received the Seefeldt Award for Arts Excellence for Outstanding Individual Artist from the Prince William County Arts Council in 2021. This award recognizes and celebrates artists, arts organizations, volunteers, educators and busi-
32 Haymarket / Gainesville Lifestyle
MARCH 2022
A Crane Named Steve
Based on the crane that showed up on I-66 near Manassas, A Crane Named Steve was an Amazon #1 bestseller, the proceeds from which Gotthardt uses to support local nonprofits.
Get Happy, Dammit
Published in 2020, Get Happy, Dammit won a Silver Award from the Nonfiction Author’s Association.
Furbily-Furld Takes on the World
In Furbily-Furld Takes on the World, a children’s book designed for those in elementary school, Gotthardt and artist Selina Farmer Williams tackle tough issues like anger management, smart growth, conservation, forgiveness and more in an easyto-understand, illustrated epic poem.
D.C. Ekphrastic: Crisis of Faith
An eclectic collection of accessible, thought-provoking poetry, Gotthardt’s D.C. Ekphrastic: Crisis of Faith, explores religion, politics, and love gone wrong.
Poems from the Battlefield
Ranked in the top 100 of the Amazon Bestseller’s rankings for its genre, Poems from the Battlefield captures unique aspects of the Civil War in Manassas and Prince William County.