Who Is kelly?
I live in the forgotten wilds of northwestern Ontario where isolation is both cherished and loathed. Living in a place in-between, and often overlooked by the rest of the country, allows me the unique ability to observe life as an outsider.
I have an intense love for the outdoors which is apparent in my writings that usually contain at least one prominent natural element. When I’m not elbow deep in garden soil or madly scribbling in my journal, I can be found rambling around our farm’s fields and forests with my two pups in search of the perfect vista.
Currently, I am a MFA (Fiction) student at King’s University in Halifax where I am working on a novel project that explores sweetheart culture and the fleeting nature of female autonomy through the role of the WWII dancehall hostess. As a life-long learner, I hold master’s degrees in both Education and Theology.
Generally, my writing focuses on the strength of women in unexpected places.
Artist Statement
I write with a sense of wonder and curiosity to make sense of the world and myself, and to make others wonder and imagine alongside me. By looking at the everyday spaces in-between, I am tuned in to the subtleties that lay in the cracks—sometimes things no one else notices. With an historical fascination—long ago and recent; personal and far-removed—I want to awaken my readers to their own place in the human story.
I write for the elation that comes when something unique is created. Shaping letters, words and paragraphs slows down time and provides a method to sort through clutter and create a place of refuge. Writing gives permanence to thoughts through precision and rules; it is a space for reflecting and refining before sending out into the world.
I write to raise questions that lead to more questions rather than answers or solutions—I want myself and readers to continually search and never arrive and know that is okay. I want my words to elicit change and growth by transforming the then into the now, offering a pathway to understanding.
Kelly A. Griffiths 