Kathleen McClung an awarding winning writer and adjunct professor here at Skyline College has taught and advised students, helping them with their writing.

“I started (writing) as a child, I was writing stories and poem’s in elementary school and turn them into my teachers” said Professor Kathleen McClung, when she was asked about when she started writing.

Professor McClung has a M.A, in English, from California State, Stanford University, in Education, and a B.A, in American Studies, also from Stanford. In addition, to these she also has experience doing various workshops and teaching writing classes throughout the Bay Area which she has gained over the course of her more than 23 years of experience.

“I really get a lot of pleasure out of my writing, as a little girl and as I continued on through high school. I took writing classes in high school, (I) also took writing classes in college and worked on the literary magazine in college and the student newspaper. So it (writing) kind of being a nature of my life.”

She started off her career in 1994 working an Adjunct Instructor/Supervisor of Student Teachers for Mills College, before moving on to been the Managing Editor for the Institute for Food and Development Policy (food first), and finally she was the Managing Editor for the UCSF nursing Press, at the University of California, in San Francisco until 2007.

These day’s she worked as Adjunct Professor here at Skyline College, is an instructor at the ‘The Writing Salon’ in San Francisco, and activity take part in both national and local conferences. In September, she was a featured presenter at The Gathering Place in Half Moon and was both a organizer and reader at the 2012 San Mateo County Fair in June.

Professor McClung admits that while she like distractions and being around people, when it comes down to writing she prefers to write while on retreat where her surrounding is completely free of distractions thus allowing her imagination and memories to take over.

“Sometime I don’t have the interest access, so it’s very very quiet…it helps me really listen to my imagination and listen to my memories because my writing is a mixer of imagination and memory” she said, when she was asked about what type of location she preferred when writing.

Professor McClung also likes to ensure that there are surprises for her readers which is in addition to ensuring her readers learn something from her writing and to be touched by it.

“I like my writing to be surprising and have readers learn something, to be delighted, and touched” she said.

She’s only written poetry so far but during the interview express an interest in writing her own novel in the future however this will require more time for to work. In addition, she recently published a short book filled with poems that she has written herself, called “Almost the Rowboat” which is available at finishinglinepress.com.