About Kels

Throughout my writing life, I have occasionally struggled to find the plot. Why am I writing email campaigns for orthopedic dog beds? LinkedIn posts bemoaning the cybersecurity talent gap? Infographics about UFO sightings? If I’m not careful, the act of writing hollows out—I find myself pouring fancy dressing on a bottom line in order to make the kids eat some lettuce. 

However, for me, being a writer is not just an artistic craft or a methodology for money—it’s central to how I discover and process the worlds within and around me. Whether it’s through metaphor, humor, or well-placed punctuation, I love finding the best way to express not just the thing, but the heart of the thing.  

This is in large part why I now find myself living in Newfoundland (or “the rock” as it’s so affectionately called by locals) pursuing a graduate degree in Folklore. It’s a discipline chiefly concerned with stories: Why do we tell them? How do we tell them? Who do we tell them to? 

If I’ve learned anything so far, it’s that the “answers” to these questions are, in fact, simply more questions. Besides occasionally frustrating, I have found this fact to be a profound relief—that the antidote to my apathy isn’t simply, “More witty punchlines!” but a lifelong process that begins with curiosity.

The best part? If there are more questions, there will be more stories. And if there are more stories, we will need more writers. Thank god. Because whether or not you need me to write, I will be writing.