Author Archives: katiequirkauthor

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Character Transformation and Writing

Posted on October 3, 2017 by katiequirkauthor

Last week I wrote about “windows” and “mirrors” in creative writing, and how travel–or really any experience with difference, even in own neighborhood–can challenge our expectations about the world and provide great fuel for writing. This week I want to … Continue reading →

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Writing and Travel

Posted on September 26, 2017 by katiequirkauthor

Folks talk about creative writing providing windows and mirrors: stories that allow us to feel and experience another’s context or perspective (windows) and tales that help us better understand ourselves (mirrors). I tend to gravitate toward writing that offers me … Continue reading →

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Our year in graphic novels

Posted on September 1, 2017 by katiequirkauthor

I recently published an essay in The Washington Post about my family’s year in graphic novels. Why graphic novels? For me, as a lover of libraries, one of the big limitations that comes with living in a less developed country … Continue reading →

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Learning Spanish in Guatemala

Posted on July 31, 2017 by katiequirkauthor

As many of you know, my family just spent the last year in Central America. Living abroad has always been a boon for my writing, exposing me to new potential settings for books (imagine staring down into a volcanic caldera … Continue reading →

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Soccer, the Central American Way

Posted on May 3, 2017 by katiequirkauthor

Traveling or living abroad often provides great fodder for writing. New cultural contexts, languages and even natural settings provide us with fresh eyes on the world and on assumptions we make about how things ought to be done. A Girl … Continue reading →

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From a Tanzanian Village to Mumbai

Posted on March 2, 2017 by katiequirkauthor

Readers of A Girl Called Problem often ask me about my friend Modesta, the woman I dedicated the novel to and whom I introduce at the end of the book in my author’s note. Modesta was one of many village … Continue reading →

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Two great author visits

Posted on February 9, 2017 by katiequirkauthor

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of Skype chatting with students on two different continents about A Girl Called Problem. Students at La Côte International School in Switzerland and at Nord Anglia International School in Hong Kong … Continue reading →

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Let Girls Learn!

Posted on January 24, 2017 by katiequirkauthor

Today I’m celebrating the great work of the Obamas in their Let Girls Learn initiative, a project that readers of A Girl Called Problem will appreciate. As Shida would tell us, if you invest in a girl, you invest in … Continue reading →

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Stories from Central America

Posted on November 26, 2016 by katiequirkauthor

This academic year, my family and I are living in Central America. I’m busy working on a young adult novel set in South India, but I’ve also recently started a blog about life south of the U.S. border. Warmer Than … Continue reading →

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Happy International Day of the Girl

Posted on October 11, 2016 by katiequirkauthor

A few years ago, I wrote the following article for the wonderful website A Mighty Girl about the real-life stories that inspired me to write  A Girl Called Problem and how they relate directly to the International Day of the … Continue reading →

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