Roots of My Writing

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been writing stories. I vividly remember sitting at the tiny table in the kitchen of my childhood home early in the morning, before anyone else had woken up, crafting multi-page stories at just six years old. By seven, I won a playwriting contest. At twelve, I took first place in a Maryland statewide Women’s History Month writing contest. By thirteen, I had filled six composition notebooks with original poems. At sixteen, I won first place for a position paper at the Maryland State Model United Nations assembly. I even wrote for my high school yearbook.

Then, one day, I just stopped writing. I’m not sure why. Was it the distractions of young adulthood? A lack of inspiration? For nearly a decade, I didn’t write a word. The yearning to write remained deeply within me, but the words just couldn’t make their way from my chest to my brain.

Then came the Me Too movement, and that spark was reignited. From 2017 to 2019, I led a women’s coalition in Baltimore hosting activism events for womens rights, and in 2019, I became a mother. My daughter’s birth completely upended my world—in the best way. Poetry began flowing from my fingertips again. How could such a beautiful creature not inspire flowery words?

Fast forward to today—my daughter is five, and the world feels more hopeless than ever. How do I explain the state of the world to her and why it’s so important to stand up for what’s right? The answer came in the form of a metaphor and a children’s book.

The Mouse and The Garden is my debut literary publication, complete with original illustrations by me. Art, politics, morals, history, and writing have always mixed together in my life as a creative, so this book feels like a natural progression.

If you’d asked me at eight years old if I ever thought I would be an activist, mother, artist, and author, I would have absolutely believed you. If you’ve read this far, thank you for being here.

Please go and buy a copy of my book and share its message of teamwork, unity, and hope with your child. I hope it brings you comfort, knowing that “We’ll fight them with sun, and we’ll fight them with might, We’ll pull them and dig them, and keep our garden bright.” – Bernie, the wise old badger.