As time lingers on in that one class you were stuck with, have you ever asked yourself: Will this class really help me later in life? Is this information even necessary?

“Yes” is probably the answer every college professor will give you, especially if you were sitting in a creative writing class with Katharine Harer as the teacher.

Katharine Harer, who teaches English 110 and Creative Writing, feels that the literary arts are necessary and says that self expression is actually more necessary sometimes than anything else.

“I think that we get so caught up in fulfilling our requirements and doing the things that are necessary that we sometimes forget that,” Harer says.

She started writing at the age of nine, and since then has had five poetry books published. Her fourth book “hubba hubba” won a poetry prize of $500. All five books are now out of print and can sell for as much as $83.

Her interest in creative writing is what brought her to community college teaching, not only conveying creative writing in her classes but also through the annual publication of Talisman and Women on Writing conference.

Harer has been involved with the Talisman for 13 years, almost as long as she has been teaching at Skyline. She says that as long as she’s adviser of the Talisman, it will only feature student work and never pieces by faculty.

“The Talisman should just be for students so that other students can see just what a wealth of creativity and depth of feeling and so much artistic expression exists here.”

Harer’s involvement with Women on Writing started through another project called Culture Comes Alive at Skyline College. Harer and Marijane Datson started Culture Comes Alive at Skyline College 12 years ago to bring more arts to Skyline.

The program features readings from poets and non-fictions writers, and screenings from filmmakers.

Since Women on Writing’s birth, Harer has been asked to be one of the consultants for the conference and to put on workshops. For this year’s conference she did a workshop called “A Poet’s Adventure in Neruda’s Chile.”

Currently, she is planning on reading at the Pacifica Poetry Festival and does monthly readings at Escape From New York Pizza, which is a restaurant in downtown San Francisco.

She is also continuing Culture Comes Alive at Skyline College this year. The theme is called Take Back Mother’s Day.

“The original Mother’s Day wasn’t about going to the store and buying a gift, but it was actually about women saying we’re not in favor of war.”

Harer and Datson plan to raise awareness of the original meaning of Mother’s Day through theatre, poetry and music.

“As a mom I don’t want to see my son die,” Harer said. “I have strong feelings about that.”

Even with all the readings and projects, Harer continues to write stories. She has two non-fiction books that she is in the process of finishing.

“I write as often as I can, fitting it in to a busy teacher’s schedule.”

Katharine Harer has been spreading creativity at Skyline for over 10 years, and she only hopes that students explore their creativeness.

“We have some amazing opportunities at Skyline for students to connect with the literary arts and to express themselves and find themselves, and I hope that as many students as possible can be involved.”