Jan Kirchner is a self-published poet who lives in Illinois with her husband, daughter, dog, two cats, and a gecko. As a debut author of Holes in Your Umbrella, she is a 2011 graduate of Olivet Nazarene University majoring in English with minors in Literature and Creative Writing.
Here is a fun questionnaire with the author!
1. Describe yourself using five words. Tragical, unique, compassionate, emotional, passionate
2. Who are your favorite poets and why? My top three poets are Edgar Allan Poe, Sylvia Plath, and Langston Hughes. Oddly enough, I connected with the suffering exhibited in each author’s writing. Their writing has been the most profound and impact my experiences with poetry.
3. What motivates you as a writer? I honestly never saw myself capable of being a writer until recently. I thought this would be something I could achieve and just cross off my bucket list and move on. I was so wrong about that. My desire to relate and connect my life experiences and emotions with my reader has consumed me to the point of no end.
4. What are your current writing projects? My current writing projects consists of another collection of poetry called Love is Strange, which will be published on Amazon and is due out in July 2022. I also recently just launched myself into the flash fiction genre by uploading an episode-based serial on Kindle Vella called The Misadventures of Jill Mansfield Vol. 1. In the development stages is a devotional book called Finding Joy in the Grey.
5. What does poetry mean to you? Poetry allows an author to relay a snippet of emotion to their readers.
6. When you aren't writing, what do you do in your spare time? When I’m not writing, I’m working full-time as an operations supervisor for a rural transportation company in my local area. I also am very active in taking care of my teenage daughter who has autism and a communication disorder. I try to spend as much time nurturing my marriage relationship with my husband as I can.
7. Describe an interesting detail about yourself. Earlier, I mentioned not seeing myself as a writer until recently. When I was younger, I started out as a huge, avid reader. I do still read, but writing has become a more forceful practice. ;)
8. Do you have any hobbies? My husband and I love to play Magic the Gathering card game, board games. I have dabbled in learning how to crochet, poorly. I enjoy traveling. One of my favorite places to write is in the Starbucks cafe.
9. List five of your favorite books. The Bell Jar, Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables, North and South (Gaskell), Pride and Prejudice
10. If you could live anywhere, where would that be? Why? I would love to live in Charlottetown, PEI Canada. I once visited there and took the Anne of Green Gables excursions where I felt like I had entered the book and never wanted to leave again.
Below, Jan talks about her two favorite poems from her book, Holes in your Umbrella.
Fish Hooks- This was the first poem I had written after my diagnosis of being mentally ill, and while I was going through recovery in therapy. It’s a favorite because of what it personally represents for me and may represent for others.
Presenting My Daughter- As I mentioned earlier in the questions, my daughter is unique for a couple of reasons. This poem goes into detail about why. I get a lot of hardship because on the outside my daughter looks completely normal. But not all disabilities are visible.
Connect with Jan!