Motherhood & Words

I haven’t met Leigh Ann Torres in person, and I only recently met her online, when a blogger friend suggested she might be interested in the Ready for Air book tour. I emailed her and she immediately said yes, and I’m so grateful that she did.

Shortly after the book arrived at her house, I got a tweet saying that our stories were incredibly similar and that her blood pressure was rising as she read. (Leigh Ann also had preeclampsia.) Then another tweet that the shared details were uncanny.

Our stories are different, of course–Leigh delivered identical twins at 31 weeks; Stella was born at 32–but there ARE similarities. Anyone who has lived through the NICU will recognize those same churning emotions: fear and hope, joy and uncertainty, anger. They will recognize the tubes, the wires, the beeping machines, the bilirubin lights. I love that, love the ways we can see ourselves reflected in another’s story. And that’s exactly how I felt when I watched the video of Leigh Ann reading at Austin’s 2012 Listen To Your Mother show. Please check that out here. (These videos are another reason to love LTYM!)

And then please read Leigh Ann’s wonderful blog. Oh that photograph!

Leigh Ann writes:

Kate’s memoir is a melodious read of a difficult time. She captivates the reader with her grace and candor, while still allowing her raw emotions and uncertainty of Stella’s future to show. And although mine and Kate’s NICU days are behind us, there’s nothing like the comfort of someone else knowing what you went through.  Kate’s story is real.

Thank you, Leigh Ann, for being part of the Ready for Air blog book tour, and thank you for your powerful words!

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Kate

I have been teaching creative writing for almost twenty years. Reading about other women’s lives and experiences has expanded my world. To be able to walk in someone else’s shoes, whether it’s for a moment or an hour or a few days, is an incredible gift, providing me with insight into the human experience. It takes courage to write your truths, especially if it doesn’t seem as though anyone cares, as though anyone is listening. Let me tell you: your stories matter, I’m listening, and I’m here to help you find the heart of those truths, to get them down on the page, to craft them, and to send them out into the world. Together, we will change the world, one story at a time.

4 Comments

  1. Leigh Ann on October 22, 2013 at 11:45 am

    Thank you so much for including me in the tour! I’ve really enjoyed being a part of it.



    • Kate on October 22, 2013 at 1:10 pm

      Thank you, my dear!



  2. Sue on October 22, 2013 at 12:14 pm

    Yes, what a great photo on Leigh Ann’s blog. Thanks for introducing her to me. Your book is doing what it was meant to do, bring people together.



    • Kate on October 22, 2013 at 1:11 pm

      Oh Sue, thank you!