I have had depression for twenty-five years. In 2004, I was involved in a serious accident which resulted in permanent disability. The notebook and pen have helped rebuild a meaningful life and led to joy and success I had never imagined. A powerful therapeutic tool, writing allows a look at the past, evaluation of the present, and dreams of the future.

I found an online writing community where I not only learned much about writing, but have also found support and friendship with writers across the country and around the world.

I have taken a few online poetry classes and belong to a weekly writing group. In the past year, I have had several poems published in literary journals. Some of those published are about disability while others are not. Recently, I have developed a particular interest in Japanese poetic forms.

Writing is a wonderful way to explore self, and to communicate and learn from others. Writing also shows that I am still here, and my thoughts do matter. Writing, like any art, is a challenge and there is always more to learn.

The Disability Experience II focuses on the first three years after surviving the accident, a period of time I call The Aftermath. This was a time of profound change in lifestyle as I worked through the stages of grief to slowly reach some degree of acceptance. Nearly every aspect of my life was impacted by physical disability. Learning to cope was a difficult and not always graceful process.

Writing has helped me continue to work through these issues as well as others in my life. I write primarily poetry, so have also included a selection of poems Ive written since my first book.