“…in the Western North Carolina mountains, a hush settles in the trees, the sensation begs a stillness, to reflect and simply breathe…”
Emma Kathryn Harris, North Carolina Mountains
Why I write
Hi! I’m Emma Kathryn Harris, poet, writer, editor, photographer and flower-loving gardener.
I write because I love color. Words give meaning to what we envision between what we see and what we imagine.
A painter has a vision of the story, the image he wants to paint, but often he allows the brush strokes to guide him, the colors to choose themselves. While the finished product is still the original idea, the bones, now it is beautifully embedded within the imaginative outcome of what he allowed.
I, too, as an artist, create images with crafted sentences and colorful words. I begin with an idea but allow my imagination to lead my pen.
I write because I write well. Words are the building blocks of the tower I desire to design. Without artistic words to build a story, there is only a black and white square on a blank page.
Pages are not meant to be blank. They are meant to be filled with color and for the stories to travel like the wind on a spring day, gently caressing every face it passes.
I contribute to those stories.
Photo: Meadows and Sage Photography
Why I write poetry
I write poetry because I love to sing. Poetry is like a song with a rhythmic melody. A well-written poem reminds me of reading sheet music with its adagios and fortissimos appearing in distinct places for thoughtful repose and reflections, to where it wants to rumble through you.
To me, poetry is personal, like writing in a journal that one chooses to share in his or her own way with the rest of the world. I enjoy the challenges of creating lilting prose to describe something in a way that is less literal, because everyone’s experiences are different, our feelings are different, and often I think it’s better to allow the reader pause for her own unique emotions.
Poetry is my healing, my voice, but also shared emotions. I desire my readers to feel that I “get” them and that we have somewhat of a connection.
All photographs on this website are taken by me, unless otherwise indicated. They are often flowers from my own garden, as well as gardens in various places I have visited.
How about a little personal background about me?
I love “Anne of Green Gables” and all things James Herriot. In fact, classic literature adorns my library shelves, and the rest are stored on my Kindle.
I write poetry, fiction, and essays, and am a copywriter and writing consultant residing in Western North Carolina. I am a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association.
Please join me in the garden and then stay for tea.
