Books have always been my savior. When I was in grade school, I read all the time. I was excited when I was sent home with the Scholastic Book Club order forms, and my mother let me order as many books as I wanted. She didn’t have much money but always sacrificed for my happiness. Deep down, she knew that my love of literature and writing would stick with me for the rest of my life, and indeed it did.

In the summer of ’85, my friends wanted me to go outside and play, but I would rather sit in my room and read. I adored the Lois Duncan books because they were mysterious and supernatural. Her spellbinding stories lured me in, and I was captivated by her storytelling magic. Books unleashed my creativity, igniting a new awareness of the world.

The book “Go Ask Alice” forever changed my life. It was a book written as a diary about a teenage girl and her life as a runaway and drug addict trying to get clean. It was published anonymously. To this day, I still think about the mystery author and where she is now. I was fascinated by the book and how the anonymous teen utilized her diary as an outlet to write through her pain and life experiences. The book inspired my desire to journal.

Ironically, my sixth-grade teacher Dr. Cauldwell required his students to read or write every afternoon for one hour. He often played classical music during this time, which added to the ambiance. The music infused with writing in my journal and reading books brought the pages to life. Dr. Caudwell planted my writing seed, and as a result, my inclinations toward the written word and literary arts flourished.

Flash forward to adulthood. I received a Bachelor of Arts (English with an emphasis in Literature) from the University of New Mexico. In college, I was drawn to memoirs and poetry, and I took a class that focused solely on the Beat Generation writers and fell madly and passionately in love with the Beat writers. Years later, I received an MFA in Creative Writing/Poetry from Naropa University, the acclaimed college started by beat writers.

I am currently obsessed with the poets Rupi Kaur and Nikita Gill. These beautiful goddesses are word alchemists who transform pain into beautiful poetics. They are my literary muses whose writings inspire me to journal, write through my pain, and unveil my poetic voice. Who are your Literary Muses?