Maureen McQuerry pictureMaureen McQuerry

 

Primary Discipline: Literary Arts

Areas of Specialty: Fiction, Poetry, Fantasy/Magical Realism

 

Based in: Richland
Phone: 509-942-0416
Email: maureen.mcquerry@gmail.com
Website: www.maureenmcquerry.com

 

Biography: Maureen McQuerry writes poetry and fiction, works as a gifted specialist in the schools and presents author talks and workshops to teens and adults. McQuerry is the author of: Nuclear Legacy (Battelle Press 2000); Student Inquiry (Creative Learning Press 2003); Wolfproof (Idylls Press 2006); and a poetry chapbook, Relentless Light (Finishing Line Press 2007). The sequel to Wolfproof, The Travelers' Market will be available in June of 2008. Her poetry appears regularly in journals such as The Southern Review, Atlanta Review, Smartish Pace, Ruah, and the North American Review. She was the MacAuliffe Fellow for Washington State in 2000, the winner of the New Eden Chapbook Competition 2006, an Independent Booksellers Award finalist and a finalist for the Hearst, Pablo Neruda and Beulah Rose Awards.

 

When asked about her approach as a Teaching Artist, Ms. McQuerry wrote this: "Writing and teaching are my two passions. Through my teaching I hope to imbue students with their own passion for literature. I feel that students should experience writing with a rich vocabulary, as well as a good plot. I teach students to read with the eyes of a writer. As we read, we discuss how the writer might have created the poem or story. I also want students to learn to write well and to learn that we are all more than meets the eye. I communicate well with students and love classroom discussions. The curriculum is enlivened and deepened by our discussions and interactions. I understand students’ abilities and enjoy motivating and challenging them."

 

Suitable for Grades: K-12
Preferred Grades: 6-12

Curriculum Integration Possibilities: Literacy, Reading, Writing

 

Additional Interests/Experience:

  • Leading Professional Development workshops for K-12 Teachers
  • Working with at risk students
  • Working with students in gifted education programs

 

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