About me

Lorna is a Pacific Northwest writer and speaker. Her narrative nonfiction and poetry have been recognized by Pacific Northwest Writers Association and the Oregon Poetry Association, and have appeared or are forthcoming in Scary Mommy, Jellyfish Review, Painted Bride, Writers Resist, and elsewhere. She's also a  speaker and workshop leader. When not wrangling her two small children, she fantasizes about being interviewed on NPR’s Fresh Air. 

I am a poet, narrative nonfiction writer and speaker exploring themes of healing from intergenerational trauma and sociopathic abuse, as well as motherhood and neurodiversity. I write to claim my feelings, allowing me to do with them what I need, to affirm and sit with myself in ways I couldn't otherwise, and to inspire others.

After writing short stories in grade school, I stepped away from the craft. I came back to it ~20 years later when my oldest was born. I wrote about motherhood, especially the surprising aspects of it, such as not liking it. Then I wrote about other topics. I started submitting to journals, calling myself a writer and meeting other writers. I fell in love with the craft again; it was like coming home.

Currently I'm at work on a memoir about going from LA party girl to trail worker in rural Alaska, all the while dealing with past demons, including my dad's bigamy. 

Because I join boards to procrastinate on deadlines, I serve as a Director of the Oregon Poetry Association and of the Alaska Writers Guild, and am president of Write On The River. 

2022 GAP recipient, Artist Trust (Seattle)

Finalist, Fishtrap Fellowship, 2020

Honorable Mention, Oregon Poets Association Fall 2019 contest

Finalist, 2017, Pacific Northwest Writers Association contest (memoir)

Oregon Poetry Association (Board member, outreach and social media)

Alaska Writers Guild (Board member, outreach and social media)

Write on the River (President)

Pacific Northwest Writers Association