AUTHOR BIO

Introducing Poet and Writer, Christina M. Ward

A bio and introduction for Illumination readers *UPDATED 7/13/20

Hi! Sorry for the gigantic head shot — I promise my head isn’t really that big. Now, for the obligatory 3rd person author bio:

Christina M. Ward was born to humble means, growing up in a 7-person family in a 2 bedroom house in rural North Carolina. Her parents raised her with a love of all people, no matter their station, creed, or color, and to love the land as the living, breathing gift that it is. She spent summer days barefoot and sweaty atop her bicycle, roaming the neighborhood with relative freedom. You could see her afro-hair coming for half a mile.

Christina went straight from high school to parenthood but eventually found her way into college in her thirties. She was a single parent at the time, retiring from a career “behind the chair,” meaning she was a hairdresser for 16 years, which ruined the nerves in her wrists and hands. By the time she graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, the pressures of single parenting on less than 1000.00 a month and the mounting pressures of health issues were all taking their toll. In 2010, within a matter of 3 months she was hospitalized with meningitis, had a hysterectomy following years of complications, and then got in a wreck while traveling 80 mph on the interstate. She was hit by a dumptruck. Her body has never been the same. (#Spoonie)

Resilience and perseverance have become instrumental to her success in writing.

During college, Christina stood out amongst her peers for her writing ability. She began sharing poetry and creative writing and became adept at writing technical, research, and scientific papers. She earned a Minor in writing with some writing courses created just for her to complete the minor with a concentration in nature and environmental writing. She took every poetry course available to her as well. Christina was the recipient of the Creative Writing Prose Award at Catawba College for a short piece entitled “Clarity.”

In 2012, Christina created Fiddleheads & Floss, her poetry and blogging branding. Today her blog is primarily an author platform. Christina now works full-time as a freelance writer, working primarily in the health & wellness sector, specializing in CBD, well-living, and skin care.

Christina’s work has been published by the following non-Medium poetry platforms:

• Cameo literary magazine (print)
• Arrowhead literary magazine (print)
• Vita Brevis Poetry Magazine
• Scarlet Leaf Review
• The Frightened Traveler by Jason Weiland
• Wolff Poetry Literary Magazine
• Alternating Current / The Coil

Christina’s first poetry collection, organic, reached best-seller status in poetry books about nature in less than 6 weeks. She plans to release a second collection by the end of 2021. (Here is a reading from organic) A Podcast interview with Laurie Livingston Nave entitled Words from the River featured Christina’s book.

In March 2019, Christina joined Medium. She has since founded 5 publications (Fiddleheads & Floss, Politically Speaking — now run by Scott Tarlo, Ask Christina, Beautiful You, and The POM.) She has attained Top Writer status in more than 12 different topics, has been curated over 120 times in 33 different tags, the most frequent being Writing and Poetry. She’s also founded a Facebook group entitled Poets on Medium — now run by Samantha Lazar — to provide a supportive network for poets from the Medium platform. It has over 650 members. Christina has written for over 50 publications here on Medium.

Christina aspires to be a novelist and has completed her first novel, Elephant Song, which is now in the query stage.

A bit on personal life — Christina has raised 2 fine sons into young men. Aside from the 3 years she spent living in Florida, (where Fiddleheads & Floss was created and her writing career truly began) she’s lived in west-central North Carolina for all of her life. Christina lives in central North Carolina now with her little dog, Josie, and her cat December, who make fine companions.

Contact information can be found via her social media Linktree.

Now the credentials are out of the way, I can speak again — 3rd person is so stifling.

Hi, my name is Christina. I am a 46-year-old mother of three and grandmother of two. My educational background is a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science so I am passionate about nature.

I consider myself a poet, an activist with words for our earth, a firm optimist for humankind and equality, a bit of a believer in rainbow magic, faeries, and unicorns. I am also a teacher (figuratively speaking) and leader (at heart), an inspirer of others, and a deeply empathetic introvert.

I am rather obsessed with the Counting Crows — which must be mentioned here. I have 2 tattoos, both on my back — one of the Evenstarr (yes I’m an LOTR geek) and one of a filigree butterfly. Outside of writing, I enjoy observing nature, hiking (when I am able), and cross-stitching.

I hope to do 2 things with my writing:

• Touch people deeply — by tapping into the deepest, most organic and raw parts of what it is that makes us all truly human. (This is the “floss” portion of my branding — think; Red String theory.)
• Inspire a deep connection to the natural world — by imagery and storytelling that moves people to consider all the wonders of this earth. (This is the “fiddleheads” portion of my branding.)

My work

As you saw in my bio, I write for a great many publications, a few rising to the top as favorites. I am a new writer for Illumination and I sought out writing here after seeing the intense activity of Dr Mehmet Yildiz on Twitter supporting other poets and writers. I was impressed with how he offered opportunity for writers but backed that up with leadership, support, time, and his efforts. I am immensely thankful.

Here is a selection of my work by category so that you can see if my writing appeals to you, if you’d like to follow both my work and my publications, my blog, or order my poetry collection. I have not described my writing style much here because I’d rather let my work speak for itself, especially my poetry. If you read anything at all of mine, I hope you will consider reading some of my poetry. It is the heart and soul of my writing.

I may never be well-read and celebrated for my art.

But I am a chrysalis.

In my mind I have 26 letters I can churn into words and fold into butterflies.

By my art I am set free.

— from “I may Never Be” by Christina M Ward

POETRY

In Search of Faeries Consent The Poet Cleaning A World Without Butterflies (Perhaps my most well-known poem.) The Wisdom of Trees On Dappling Pond the skin i am in I, An Ant Hill — a free verse poem Unsilenced (Orpheus, Rise My Pen!) A Young Boy at the Border For the Eyes of God and Birds Excavating a Poem

WRITING

Poetry is Not Your Therapist Tips for Writing Traditional Japanese Haiku Tips for Better Poetry on Blogging Platforms 12 Very Creative Ways to Promote Your Writing Creative Use of the Senses in Your Writing Owning Your Niche as a Writer This ‘Writers Working All Weekend’ Thing (My only quadruple curation)

PARENTING / FAMILY / RELATIONSHIPS

My Father Was Asked to Choose — Save the Mother or the Baby (My top earning Medium article, to date.) This Home Knows My Pain The Rules of Engagement The Amazing Health Benefits of Ginger Tea — So Easy to Make We Put a Bid on a House and I Wrote a Letter

MEDIUM

We are Processing This Story — Hang Tight Bizarre Spikes in Stats are Just the Bone I need Curation Droughts Seem to Be Real Thing

POLITICS

To the Christian Lady Who Called Me a Snowflake Today America, Let’s Get it Right This Time

FICTION

The Squirrel and the Tree Clarity The Train Takes a Soul For the Love of Horses

ENVIRONMENT / NATURE / CLIMATE CHANGE

Stop Killing Snakes Because They Scare You Are We Nature-Depleted and Suffering for It? Nature Fights Back — An Environmentalist’s Observations on Life from Trash

MENTAL HEALTH / WELLNESS

Skin Picking is a Compulsive Behavior We Need to Stop Teaching Our Kids Not to Cry! I Don’t Feel Right Today

Thank you for reading and thank you to Illumination for the opportunity to share myself with Illumination readers. Stay in touch via my fairly new and growing Author Newsletter.