Writingchat Bios: K


Joan Kremer


I stepped quietly into the coffeehouse in early 1996. I was just going to visit for a brief spell, but found myself caught up in the pure pleasure provided by the good parties, fabulous conversation, and caring and love that fill this space.

I live (if you can call it that) in northwestern Wisconsin, USA, right on the border with Minnesota. So I'm basically a Minnesconsinite. We hibernate for 6 months of the year and beat off mosquitoes and flies the other 6 months. Through it all, we have about one or two days in a year that are sheer joy. And when those days come, we usually work through them so as not to have too much fun.

I'm 44 years old and I share my living quarters with my son Josh, 16, my daughter Erin, 13, four cats, one dog, a couple dozen fish, and above all my gloriously loving and supportive life partner, Brenda, with whom I just celebrated five years of "wedded" bliss.

(My children came about via a long and fairly loveless marriage to someone -- a guy -- whom we won't talk about here and ruin the mood.)

To earn money, I write training materials for big corporations on a contract basis. I've done this for 15 years, first as co-owner of a small training company, then as an independent contractor. Before that, I was a newspaperwoman for about 7 years. I quit because of my disillusionment with the news media.

I've had one small book of local history and a couple of nonfiction national magazine articles published, in addition to the newspaper articles and columns. I've never had a single word of fiction published (unless you can consider the college student literary magazine a publication), but I've only ever made one effort at it. (Since it was a contest, I didn't even get a rejection letter -- just a big nothing!)

My two most favorite things to do in life are to read and to write. I'm about three years into writing my first novel and am finally figuring out what it's all about. Before that I wrote poetry and a few short stories. I also like to travel (I have a fierce wanderlust), to explore inner dimensions (just another form of travel!), and to eat! (OK, OK, and a few other hedonistic types of pleasures, as well!! )

My dream is to live in Ernest Hemingway's former house in Key West, Florida, and play with the cats all day long.

In the coffeeshop, I moved my table over to the edge of the tropical ocean when SaraZara brought it in. I like to get sprayed by the warm seawater. I don't have an umbrella on my table because here, sunburns are outlawed. When I get bummed out or totally confused, I jump onto my lavender horse on the fan-carousel and ride for hours. Speaking of confused, I'm a charter member of the WritingChat Confusionists Association (or is that Organization? or Club?). Pam knows -- she started it! I also have been known to tip more than just a few glasses of wine or beer here and throw a bit of food around. (But I NEVER start the food fights!)

Previous
Next
Back to index.

For comments, write to Heather Mina.

This page hosted by GeoCitiesGet your own Free Home Page

1