Mary Ricketson, Murphy NC, has been writing poetry 20 years. Inspired by nature and her work as a mental health counselor, her poetry has been published in Wild Goose Poetry Review, Future Cycle Press, Journal of Kentucky Studies, Lights in the Mountains, Echoes Across the Blue Ridge, Red Fox Run, It’s All Relative, Old Mountain Press, Whispers, and her chapbook, I Hear the River Call My Name (Finishing Line Press), and two full-length poetry collections, Hanging Dog Creek (Future Cycle Press), and Shade and Shelter (Kelsay Books). She won first place in the 2011 Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest 75th anniversary national poetry contest.
Currently, Mary is using her own poetry to present empowerment workshops, combining roles as writer and her helping role as a therapist. Mary Ricketson’s poems and activities related to nature, facilitate talk about a personal path, and focus on growth in ordinary and unusual times. She writes a monthly column, Women to Women, for The Cherokee Scout. She is a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor and an organic blueberry farmer.
Paperback: 62 pages
Publisher: Kelsay Books (June 18, 2019)