Sails

Dear Daniel Borzutzky,

As something of an avid writer, I was very interested in your input today, as I've grown up around some eccentric people, and I enjoy hearing people's stories.

I also found it intriguing how you said your writing intends to duplicate the feeling of being pulled from your element, since in a way my writing reflects that as well, I just hadn't thought about it until you mentioned it; writing has often been my channel through which to show people the reality of my environment, something often dark and intense.

Basically, I've been through a lot, from 12 neurosurgeries since the age of 5 weeks to cancer at 12. Not sure how I've gotten through, really, but however it was, I've always sensed that no one else would ever be able to understand it. Even so, writing has been my main medium throughout the years with which Ive tried to make people understand, and all in all it seems to work more effectively than simply explaining it has.

That is the powerful sway I believe writing can have for those who use it effectively.

Lately I've been questioning how much events in our lives affect our writing, as well as how the afforementioned events affected me in general, and for better or for worse?

The 'worse' have been emotional sinkholes, depression, dissatisfaction for most of my life, but I am very empathetic now, and writing is a powerful tool.

My mother always says, though I dislike this phrase for obvious reasons, to simply play the hand you're dealt as best you can, and I know that she's right in that I can't chang what I've been through, but I can use writing as not only, an obvious answer, a form of self expression, and, as I've been told I may have a knack for it, I am grateful for my abilities.

Thank you for coming in to speak with us today! I enjoyed hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Katie Holbrook