Billie Kelpin

First Place Fiction Winner, 2023 Tom Howard–John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest

Before I started writing full-time, I began my career as a teacher of deaf students and sign language interpreter.

People often ask writers, "Why do you write?" After answering with a casual "because I can't cook or paint," my more serious answer is because I fervently believe the perfect arrangement of words can move a nation, change a mind, or offer hope in times of darkness. The stories we tell can inspire, motivate, and, in the case of comedy, make life easier.

Behind every essay, short story, or book I write is my wish to craft that one sentence, one phrase, that lingers. For me, achieving that would be like winning a house on Balboa Island, a world cruise, and a puppy playmate for our Shih Tzu, Henry—all at once. So if, perchance, as Shakespeare might say, you've found something in one of my works that stayed with you, I'd love to hear your favorite lingering sentence. Say hello on my website.