Author Spotlight – Lynda McKinney Lambert

Welcome on ‘Writer’s Treasure Chest’.

1. When did you start writing?

I was working on a BFA degree in Painting. One requirement for this degree is intensive writing courses in Art History. I quickly discovered that I loved doing research and writing papers. During the 4 years I took many intensive writing courses in a variety of other subjects in addition to taking every art history course that was offered at the university. When I began a course in poetry, I was hooked for life. I did not have the courage to enter my poetry in the English Department’s literary magazine, but my first publications were my photographs and art works.

When I began work on the MFA degree in Painting, I started getting my poetry published regularly in a variety of literary magazines. Each publication was like winning a prize. I was addicted to getting my work published. I’ve never stopped since that first publication in 1989.

2. What motivates you to write?

I am self-motivated to create art and writing. Creativity is my normal state of mind. I am always thinking about the act of making. I believe some people are makers, from birth. It is intuitive and subconscious in the early years of developing the practice of making.

3. What genre do you write in and what made you chose this particular genre?

Poetry is my primary focus. Excellent poetry is a work of art. It is visual and is an object on a page, just like a painting is on a canvas.
There is such an exquisite beauty I see when writing or reading a good poem! I write exactly how I create art, in layers. This is also how I write non-fiction essays. Non-fiction is my passion. I seldom read fiction. It is not in my wheelhouse.

In my poetry, I take away distractions such as
little words that take up space and are unnecessary. I also remove most punctuation. I want the reader to be a creator and be free to read as she chooses. I don’t put up road blocks and stop signs by using punctuation. The reader will create meaning and be creative in the reading of my poems.

I eliminate every possible word that is not crucial to the finished piece. But, at the same time, I use words that give strong visual pictures of what I am focused on in that piece. I want my reader to see pictures as they read.

4. What is your goal in writing? Do you have dreams where your writing should take you?

My goal is to keep it simple, uncluttered, and unfettered.

When completed, I cast my bread upon the waters, and see what returns.

I create the work, and I send it out to editors for publication.
My work is not complete until it has a reader. The goal is always publication because I want to connect with readers.

I always have dreams and I set my intentions at the beginning of each year. I don’t set goals – I set intentions In January, I choose one word that will be reflective of what I want to do or achieve that year. This year, my One Word is “SHINE.” I’ve done this for the past 5 years, and it works far better than goal setting for me. I also believe and practice, “Dreaming Prayer,” which I talk about in my latest book.

5. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block and if yes, how do you deal with it?

I’ve never known what it would be like to have “writers block.” Creating work in writing or art is something I am compelled to do intuitively.
This phrase is not in my vocabulary.

I set my intentions and I follow them throughout the year. Writing is a matter of sitting down and beginning to scribble. The more I think about scribbling the more I like it. This is where it all begins for me as an artist and writer. I scribble my way to content and it is an adventure. Writing is a sport.
I show up for practice.

6. What advice would you like to give new, hopeful authors?

Become like a child again. You already know how to write you just may have forgotten what you already know. Begin to recapture what you knew as a little child. It is all there for you to discover.
Pick up your pen or pencil, or your keyboard, and let your hands begin to fly.
Scribble. Scribble. Scribble.

7. Please, tell us about your work.

My themes are: nature, literature, art, mythology, and the journey of life that we all experience. I am inspired by the creation story and in particular by Genesis 1:14 where God created humankind to be a reflection of Himself. This means, to me, that we humans are image bearers of the Divine, and I search for it when I am writing my stories & poems.

Walking by Inner Vision: Stories & Poems is a collection of stories that are a journey through a year from January through December. Each chapter is a month of the year. Each chapter opens with a poem that introduces the theme of that Month.

My stories are presentations of ordinary as well as supernatural events that happen in the lives of individuals. Intertwined into the stories is the historical context of the place, individual, or history of people such as:

_an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s disease, who is hosting her final Christmas Eve family party at her home
_two sisters who stop on their way home from school, along a rural road, to gather violets.
_a steelworker’s family with 4 children and preparations for their Christmas Day in the 1950s in western Pennsylvania
_a university art professor who taught an unforgettable drawing class

Through my stories and poems, I celebrate the beauty of individual lives

Thank you for being my guest. It was such a pleasure to have you here!!

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Who is Lynda?

Lynda McKinney Lambert is a retired professor of fine arts and humanities. She began writing full-time in 2008, after she retired due to profound sight loss. She has Ischemic Optic Neuropathy, and uses adaptive technologies for the blind to create her work. She has not allowed sight loss to define her life.

Lynda’s writings appear in literary magazines, anthologies, and books.
She is the published author of 2 full-length books.
Concerti: Psalms for the Pilgrimage ~ a collection of poems and journal entries, Kota Press, 2002.
Walking by Inner Vision: Stories & Poems, DLD Books, 2017.

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Connect with Lynda:

Visit my 2 Blogs:
Website & Blog: Walking by Inner Vision – my Author’s blog
Scan-A-Blog – A quiet Place of Inspiration. We love Art, Nature, Literature

On FaceBook:
My FaceBook Personal Page
River Road Studio Page
Walking by Inner Vision Page
My SCAN-A- BLOG Page
My Author’s Page

Contact Lynda:

riverwoman@zoominternet.net
Address: 104 River Road, Ellwood City, PA 16117

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Lynda’s books:

Buy the Kindle book on Amazon – for $3.99
Walking by Inner Vision: Stories & Poems

 

 

 

 

 

Buy the book on Amazon – Click Here!