Kathy Roberson has a BA in English from Colgate University and a Master’s in Creative Writing from SUNY Stony Brook. During the 1980s and ’90s, Kathy delved into writing poetry and had a number of her poems published (Milkweed Chronicle, Off Our Backs, Earth’s Daughters, San Fernando Poetry Journal, Sounds). A collection of poems, Thoughts While Braiding My Daughter’s Hair, was published in 1996 by friends who were eager to get her poems out and into the hands of readers, and the title poem from that collection received honorable mention in the 1995 Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award (Passaic County Community College). During that time, she also ran writing workshops at a local library and a women’s support center.
In 1992, Kathy became a parent of a child with special needs, and for a number of years afterward, the demands of caring for her daughter took precedence over writing. In 2004, she received an MSW from Rutgers University and began a new career in the field of developmental disabilities. She worked for 10 years as Policy and Information Coordinator at the Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities in New Jersey, and in that role wrote curricula, policy fact sheets, and other informational materials. Several years ago, Kathy’s passion for both helping families and creative writing led her to form a writers’ group for caregivers of children with disabilities and, in the process, her own long-dormant commitment to writing poetry was rekindled. Her recently published book of poems, Moment of Departure, explores the everyday challenges and joys of raising a child with special needs, including issues related to having a child with a significant intellectual disability and transracial adoption. In 2013, Kathy moved with her husband and daughter to Philadelphia.
Kathy Roberson 