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Katherine Gotthardt

 

Member profile details

First name
Katherine
Last name
Gotthardt
Organization
Write by the Rails
 

Personal information (200 word limit for Bio, please)

Pen Name
Katherine Gotthardt
Personal photo
Bio
Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt, M.Ed., writing concentration, hails from the Northern Virginia/D.C. metro area. She considers herself a writer by nature and by trade, having begun writing for fun as soon as her mother helped teach her to read. An active part of the literary community, Katherine is current president and a founding member of Write by the Rails (WbtR), the Prince William Chapter of the Virginia Writers Club.

Katherine has been a Prince William County Poet Laureate nominee and was the winner of Inside Nova’s 2019 and 2020 Best of Prince William award in the category of author. Her poetry and prose book Get Happy, Dammit: Staying Inspired and Motivated in an Often-Unhappy World received a Silver Award from the Nonfiction Authors Association. Katherine's children’s book, A Crane Named Steve, hit number one in its category on Amazon in 2019. Katherine then took first place in the free verse category of Loudoun County Library Foundation’s 2020 Rhyme On poetry contest for her piece "Discussion Topic." The Prince William Arts Council and Poet Laureate Circle awarded her the 2020 Outstanding Poetry Project Award for her leadership in Write by the Rails' Poems Around Town poetry installation. In 2021 Katherine earned second place for "Aftermath" in a Poetry Society of Virginia national contest and the regional Seefeldt Award for Arts Excellence in the category of Individual Artist.

While Katherine is well-known for her poetry, she also has established a solid reputation for writing articles, columns and short fiction. She is a full-time marketing writer for a government contracting company and is published in dozens of journals and anthologies. She has authored nine books: Poems from the Battlefield, Furbily-Furld Takes on the World, Approaching Felonias Park, Weaker Than Water, Bury Me Under a Lilac, Late April, A Crane Named Steve, and Get Happy, Dammit. D.C. Ekphrastic: Crisis of Faith was released in December 2020.
 

Website and social media (please include "http://")

 

Chapter Information

VWC Chapter (if any)
Write by the Rails
 

Speakers' Bureau

Speaker Area(s) of Writing Expertise
  • Craft
  • Non-fiction (general)
  • Non-fiction (inspirational)
  • Poetry
Other Topic(s) of Expertise
Content marketing
 

Poems, Novels, Plays, or other Works

Work 1 - Title
Poems from the Battlefield
Work 1 - Genre
(Fiction & Literature) Poetry
Work 1 - Cover
Work 1 - Description
A collection of original Civil War themed poetry based on Katherine's exploration of the local battlefields and museums in Manassas and Prince William County, VA.
Work 2 - Title
Get Happy, Dammit: Staying Inspired and Motivated in an Often-Unhappy World
Work 2 - Genre
(Nonfiction) Nonfiction
Work 2 - Genre (Other)
If you’re tired of just trudging through another day, if you’re looking for more from life than the daily grind, if you’re seeking ways to get out of that rut or helping someone else get out, this book is for you. Get Happy, Dammit provides a pathway to greater happiness by helping readers build inspiration and motivation, two elements that can lead to a more fulfilling life. Each short chapter provides simple, proven exercises that allow readers to develop skills like mindfulness, time management, reframing, critical thinking, goal setting and more, all designed to boost inspiration and motivation. Creatives, teachers and coaches especially will discover or rediscover new ways to approach problems that plague us all and get in the way of progress. Individuals committed to improving their lives will find a DIY manual for enjoying a higher quality of life.
Work 2 - Cover
Work 2 - Description
An eclectic collection of original poetry inspired by Katherine's experiences teaching in the Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center and musings of various religious traditions.
Work 3 - Title
Furbily-Furld Takes on the World
Work 3 - Genre
(Children's Books) Ages 6-8
Work 3 - Cover
Work 3 - Description
An illustrated, epic children's poem focused on themes such as responsible rural development, conservation, anger management and more, all wrapped into a surprisingly fun story.
Work 4 - Title
Bury Me Under a Lilac
Work 4 - Genre
(Fiction & Literature) Poetry
Work 4 - Cover
Work 4 - Description
A poetic journey from birth through passing, accessible yet profound, leaving death not proud, but steeped in the beauty of transformation, a natural movement to the next phase of personal and spiritual evolution.
Work 5 - Title
Late April
Work 5 - Genre
(Fiction & Literature) Poetry
Work 5 - Cover
Work 5 - Description
Late April celebrates the poetry genre, as well as the seasons—of nature and of life. In this book, the cyber world of social media and big data also have a place. Juxtaposed with memories of Gotthardt’s mother, these pieces remark on what it means to be human in 2019.
 

Additional Works - Add title, genre, URL, description, and publication year in free form text here.

Additional Works
Approaching Felonias Park, a novel; A Crane Named Steve, a children's epic poem; Weaker Than Water, a poetry collection https://www.katherinegotthardt.com/books
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