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Karen Hawkins by Lisa Beamer

Whether she is telling the stories of her capuchin monkeys, putting words down in the form of poetry or simply writing e-mail to a friend, Karen Hawkins' undeniable voice of honesty rings clear. Karen, the long-time web mistress of the Momwriters site, highly values this trait, especially in her writing. "The honesty and sincerity of my words are the most important aspects of my writing," she states. "I want to be pleased with my accomplishments rather than proud of them."

Karen lives what many would consider a unique life, one in which her faith, determination and love of nature is evident. In 1976, she first moved to Sebago, Maine and lived in a small cabin amid 80 acres with no electricity or indoor plumbing. She later came to Bridgton, Maine where she now resides on a farm with her teenage son and two capuchin monkeys, Mookie and Milo.

Easily discerned in her life and her writing is Karen's love of animals and children alike. She has been a foster mother to 30 kids and is "second mother" to many local children. Karen's family includes critters of all kinds -- the monkeys, two dogs, a cat, two parrots, some horses, a Polish hen and several free ranging bunnies affectionately known as "the Bunny Brigade." "I am good with the animals and kids and believe it is a gift from God," says Karen. "In honor of Him, I do my best to utilize His gift."

Her love of nature is very connected to her writing, and her favorite place to write is in the midst of it. "...In the shady woods, by a babbling stream, lying on a blanket with the sun mercilessly beating down on me til the sweat on my brow drops upon the work in progress, by the shore listening to the lapping tide, anywhere I can see, feel, hear or smell nature. The world is my writing space, my computer desk is my editing manager space."

Karen has written since she was a child. She recalls, "Once I learned how to read and write, the writing just seemed to be a part of me. My first official publication debuted when I was about 9 or 10. Our local newspaper ran a contest. Entrants were to create a cartoon using a letter of the alphabet. A winner was announced every day for a week. I was one of the winners and received a small check. I vaguely recall the check being $12 and still remember how excited I was to be a winner." More of Karen's work was published in her junior and high school literary publications, and she wrote many poems during her earlier years, as well.

Karen attributes her way with words to her Gram, who had written many beautiful poems over the years. Then, after not writing for many years, a 78-year-old English teacher, Shirley Hatch, rekindled Karen's desire. "In 1990...she became a client in my therapeutic riding program. While she rode, we talked and it was then that she re-instilled the inspiration in me to take pencil to paper again. For that, I am eternally grateful to her."

Karen credits her writing success to her diligence with the craft. "My muse is the one who taunts me until I stop whatever it is I may be doing (that I feel is important) and forces me to 'puke out the words' until I am spent. It is definitely a love/hate relationship." Karen's muse is not confined to any area, as she writes personal experience non-fiction, children's stories, poems and "miscellaneous words that seem to appear out of nowhere." She explains, "I really don't have a favorite genre, the words choose me, depending on the day."

Some fun facts about Karen:

Her favorite authors: "I honestly don't have a favorite. 'Ishmael' by Daniel Quinn and the 'Left Behind' series are a few of my favorite books, but there are too many great books to have a best one."

Her favorite way to relax when not writing: Playing with her two capuchin monkeys.

Her most memorable vacation: Going to Maine as a child. "My grandparents taking me, as a child, my mom and younger sister to Maine every summer for a week. I grew up saying, 'When I grow up, I'm moving to Maine.'" And that is exactly what she did.

Last movie she saw in a theatre: Harry Potter. "[It is the] first movie I have seen in a theater in over 6 years...I loved it. I read the series and thought the movie was very well done. Definitely, two thumbs up!!"

Her favorite quote: "A hundred years from now, it will not matter the sort of house I live in, what my bank account was, or the car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child or one of God's creatures on this earth." (Adapted from "Within My Power" by Dr. Forest E. Wilcraft.)

If she could meet any one person in the writing world, past or present, Karen would choose: "The authors of the Bible because of the numerous unanswered questions I have about life back during those times. I know I will receive the answers when I die, but I can be a bit impatient at times. *smile* I want to know more about women's lives back then."

Her words of wisdom for new writers: "Write from your heart, soul or simply your own personal experiences. The rest will come as your muse matures."

Karen currently has a couple of books in the works, to which she continues to add. "I...will let my intuition (muse) tell me when they are complete enough to send out into the world for judgment." Karen has been published in several magazines, both print and online, and some of her work can be seen at her web site: http://www.offthewallemporium.com. You can reach Karen via email at either barefoot@offthewallemporium.com or editor@bridgtonnews.com.

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