My friend, composer Karel Suchy, calls it KeRacine, pronouncing the word, in his cool Czech accent, like you’d say, “ker-o-sene.” With this term, he’s referring to the Wisconsin cities of Kenosha and Racine, but it’s more than a mashup of names for him. He’s talking about a powerful energy, fueled by the the creative culture that burns bright here.
My Herding Instinct
I’m convinced I was a border collie in another life. While I lack some attributes of this breed – agility, high energy, and intelligence – I share a common instinct for herding. Dogs may do it for the purpose of providing protection; I do it when I dream up projects and need people to turn them into reality.
Taking the Alphabet for a Walk
What did you want to be when you grew up? Except for a brief period as a young teen when I wanted to race stock cars (despite hating to work with my Dad on the family auto), I loved to write stories and draw pictures.
2020: To be continued…
by Kelsey Marie Harris Yesterday was probably one of the most joyous days of 2020 for a lot of people. It signified hope that things might finally shift in the right direction in this country. And while it was fun to toast and laugh together over memes, for me the moment was fleeting. Satisfaction can…
Wisconsin Exquisite Corpse 2020
by Kelsey Marie Harris For my Writer In Residence project, I set out to create a huge exquisite corpse comprised of lines from writers from all over Wisconsin. It is finally complete, and I couldn’t be happier with it. So many amazing writers contributed to this project and I’m so damn grateful for you all….
On the outside looking in…
by Kelsey Marie Harris So I’ve been MIA. To be honest I’ve been stuck in a mind trap again. When I’m functioning low, I retreat into my head, and have a hard expressing myself outwardly; talking, writing, painting. The theme of the past few months is that I’ve got plenty to be thankful for, I’ve…
Easing: out of my mind
by Kelsey Marie Harris These past couple weeks have been about adjustment. Adjusting to the change is season. Adjusting to returning to work. Adjusting to working in a school with no kids. Adjusting to things dying, and new things growing in the garden. Adjusting to the needs of my partner, despite my own. I’ve always…
The old familiar fall
by Kelsey Marie Harris My depression heightens around the same time every year. It’s a signal that fall is coming. My mother passed in the fall of 2014, and shits felt pretty bleak since then. This summer’s ending has felt more weighted, what with pandemics and racism. Racism isn’t new but folks are certainly leaning…
Into The Wild, And The Privilege Of Escaping
by Kelsey Marie Harris One of the books I’ve read recently, which I’ve referenced in previous blog posts, is “Into The Wild” by Jon Krakauer. I enjoyed it, for what it was. I have to say, I get the appeal. The idea of escaping the poison of society. The intention of getting lost in God’s…
Wisconsin Exquisite Corpse
by Kelsey Marie Harris Functional depression leaves me with nothing much to say this week, if I’m being honest. But in the spirit of “functional” I’ll use this week’s blog post to tell you about my Writer In Residence project. I plan, with the help of some of Wisconsin’s amazing writing community, to create an…
