But first, more about the book:
The Birth of a Widow is utterly shattering portrait of the sudden loss of a husband and a shared life that will speak to anyone who has ever loved or lost a loved one. In these poems of electric honesty, Giorgio explores how she struggles to survive her first year as a widow, using all her wisdom, humor, anger, to cross the vast sea of grief to the other shore, bringing us—wiser, too—along with her.
—Jesse Lee Kercheval, author of I Want To Tell You
About the Author, Kathie Giorgio
—Jesse Lee Kercheval, author of I Want To Tell You
Sixty-six days after Kathie Giorgio’s husband was killed when he was struck and run over by a passenger van while walking to his bus stop, Kathie’s grief broke out unbidden into poetry. For the year after his death, she wrote the poems as they arrived. An intimate study of traumatic loss, Giorgio exposes the full depth of grief’s sadness, anger, and confusion.
Publisher: Kelsay Books (Feb. 24, 2026)
AISN: B0GQ45W871
ISBN-13: 979-8901467190
Print Length: 88 pages
Purchase your copy on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. You'll also want to add it to your GoodReads reading list.
Kathie Giorgio is the author of seventeen traditionally published books: eight novels, two story collections, an essay collection, and five poetry collections. Her new novel, Unique In All The World, will be released in February 2027. She’s been nominated for the Pushcart Prize in fiction and poetry and awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Library Association and the Eric Hoffer prize for fiction, among others.
Giorgio is also the founder and director of AllWriters’ Workplace &Workshop LLC, an international creative writing studio offering online and on-site courses and workshops for all genres and abilities, as well as coaching and editing services.
Find the author at:
Website: www.kathiegiorgio.org
Instagram: @kathiegio1
Twitter/X: @kathiegiorgio
-- Interview by Jodi M. Webb
WOW: You published many different types of books: novels, poetry collections, short stories, personal essays. As writers, do you think we should “stretch” our skills by trying many genres?
Kathie: I believe that writers should stretch with genres, but not for building a skill set or for sales or for a brand. They should stretch because they really want to write something in that genre. If you’re a poet, but you think you have a great idea for a short story and it’s all you can think about, then write it. Ditto with any genre to any genre. We should always write what we feel strongly about, whether or not we’ve ever written anything like that before.
WOW: Do you have a favorite genre to write or does it depend on the project/idea?
Kathie: If I was told I could only write in one genre for the rest of my life, I would choose the short story. I love writing in all the possibilities – fiction, nonfiction, poetry. But the short story was my first love and remains my #1 passion. What I write does depend, of course, on the idea. I often don’t know what something is going to be until it is. I once set out to write a novel, jotting down ideas throughout the day on a list. Later, when I looked at the list, I discovered it was a flash fiction piece, already written. You just never know.
WOW: That's an amazing story! How did The Birth of a Widow come into being? Because the poems follow your first year of being a widow, I wonder if you wrote them as part of journaling and the later decided to collect them into their own book?
Kathie: I never intended to write The Birth Of A Widow. 66 days after my husband Michael’s death, I went (ran, really) to the Oregon coast, which is my place to get away, drop all roles, and just be alone. While I was there, I suddenly began to have lines from what appeared to be poetry appearing in my head. So I wrote them, and they were all about Michael and what happened. Because they kept coming after the initial 5, I decided to let it continue (as if I had a choice!). I never once sat down deliberately to write one of these poems; I just wrote them as the words came to me. I did put a deadline on it – I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life writing about losing my husband. So I said I would give in to these poems until the first anniversary of his death. Of course, the writing itself made the final decision – on that anniversary, I found myself unable to write. But the morning after that first anniversary, I woke up with the poem in my head I decided to show the collection to my poetry publisher. She said they should be published, and I agreed.
WOW: Do you find writing helpful in dealing with the challenges of life?
Kathie: Yes, I definitely find writing helpful in getting me through life’s challenges. For years, when I’ve found myself in a situation that I just can’t figure my way through, I sit down to write a short story about it. I create a character who is totally unlike me, but in the same situation. That distances me. Then I move the character through the story. If I can get the character out the other side, I can get myself out too. (Incidentally, I have a novel being released next year, which has a main character who has just lost her husband. Yes, I needed help with this challenge too.)
WOW: Tell us a little about your process. Do you write daily?
Kathie: I don’t write exactly daily. I don’t write on weekends. Typically, I don’t write on Wednesdays either, as I teach all day that day. But I write the other days, and if I’m on a break, I write all day, every day. I’m typically an afternoon writer. My mornings are spent with clients, then I write, then in the late afternoon and into the evening, I teach classes and meet with more clients. If I have a day or a week where nothing comes, I don’t fret anymore. I’ve been writing long enough that I know it’s temporary, and my mind is only taking a rest.
WOW: After being a writing teacher for decades, you must have some great advice. What would you tell all our writers out there?
Kathie: The first thing I would advise is to not put the selling before the writing. Don’t even think of selling or publication. Just write. Once you start publishing, there is tremendous pressure to keep publishing, and you tend to get caught up in that, rather than the passion for putting down just the right words. Don’t write because you think it will sell; write because you have something to say.
The second thing I would advise is don’t reach so quickly for the delete key. Even if something doesn’t seem to be going well, give it a chance. We are our own worst critics, and sometimes, when we’re struggling, it actually means something great is on the way. Write it out.
WOW: Do you think teaching helps you as a writer?
Kathie: Teaching definitely helps me as a writer. It puts me right smack in the middle of a community that not only loves what I do, they want to do it too. I’m with people who understand the draw to do such a strange thing. Plus, I can’t hardly expect my students to write if I’m not writing.
WOW: I never thought about the motivation you receive from being a writing teacher. What’s up next for you (and your writing)?
Kathie: I have a novel, Unique In All The World, being released on February 18, 2027. I also decided it was time to fully immerse myself in my first passion, so I’m writing a short story collection.
WOW: Ooh, I am definitely looking forward to that. You are so passionate about short stories I can't wait to read your collection.
-Blog Tour Calendar
June 1st @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the launch of The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems by Kathie Giorgio. Read an interview with the author and enter to win!
June 3rd @ Word Magic
The spotlight is on The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems by Kathie Giorgio. Drop by & learn more.
https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.comJune 4th @ A Storybook World
Kathie Giorgio, author of The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems, tackles the challenge of honesty in writing on today's post.
https://www.astorybookworld.com/June 6th @ Boots, Shoes and Fashion
Don't miss today's interview of Kathie Giorgio, a creative writing instructor and author of 17 books.
https://bootsshoesandfashion.comJune 7th @ Shoe's Seeds and Stories
Kathie Giorgio takes you behind the scenes of My Own Writing Retreat: Created, Directed and Thoroughly Enjoyed by Me. Don't miss a review of Kathie's latest book: The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems.
June 8th @ A Wonderful World of Words
Kathie Giorgio, author of The Birth of a Widow, shares how Poetry is Like a Postcard.
June 11th @ Words by Webb
Today Jodi writes abut the secret parts of grief we don't talk about as well as a review of The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems.
June 16th @ Cozy Home Delights
Stop by for thoughts on Writing About Grief from Kathie Giorgio as well as a review of her latest poetry collection The Birth of a Widow.
June 18th @ Boys' Mom Reads!
Learn about the latest by writer Kathie Giorgio: The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems.
June 23rd @ Beverley A. Baird
Beverley shares a review of Kathie Giorgio's latest book: The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems.
June 23rd @ Tracey Lampley
Author Kathie Giorgio gives us a peek at the balancing act of Writing While Caretaking.
June 25th @ Beverley A. Baird
Kathie Giorgio, author of The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems, is back with a guest post about the everchanging life of a writer in Everything Writer - Writing in Multiple Genres.
June 30th @ World of My Imagination
End the month with a little poetry. Nicole shares a review of The Birth of a Widow: Collected Poems by Kathie Giorgio.
***** BOOK GIVEAWAY *****
Enter to win The Birth of a Widow by Kathie Giorgio. Fill out the form below for a chance to win. The giveaway ends June 15th at 11:59 pm CT. We will randomly draw a winner the next day and follow up via email. Good luck!
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