full name lauren klitzke
preferred moniker LK
pronouns she/they
born & raised western wisconsin
currently living western wisconsin
education aas: graphic design / bs: professional studies / ma: servant leadership
favorite color black
favorite season autumn
favorite hp book prisoner of azkaban
favorite marvel movie captain marvel
favorite food sushi
favorite game d&d
oracle system lenormand
mythological creature griffin
what is something you do that may surprise people? i volunteer with the local genealogical group to clean headstones and honor those who are forgotten.
LK is a poet & storyteller who runs on espresso, anxiety, and inappropriate humor. She has been around books her whole life, first as an avid reader, then a bookseller for more than a decade, and short stay as the evening supervisor of the haunted library of a 125 year-old Catholic University. She is an extreme introvert who writes to escape, cope, and find a deeper meaning to her place in the world.
When she’s not writing, she’s reading, taking pictures, exploring twisting side streets and spending time alone with her thoughts. LK loves romantic fantasy fiction, dark humor, and any fairy tale retelling she can get her hands on. Her past lives include research intern, sled dog trainer, historical re-enactor, deputy registrar, Marian shrine volunteer, and freelance graphic designer.
She lives with her husband in western Wisconsin, in the shadows of the bluffs along the Mississippi River.
Why I Write
Poetry gives me a voice when my heart has no words.
Poetry forges connections between people, many of whom will never meet in real life. Poetry is an expression of our unique human nature, told through the words of an individual in a single moment. Just like an artist might use watercolor to capture the view outside their window, I use poetry to express my relationship with the world around me and the people in it, one moment at a time.
Sometimes the darkest parts of ourselves make the most beautiful poetry.
It’s impossible to lie to yourself when you write poetry. Writing poetry is the art of dissecting the soul. We poke and prod and pull back all the little flaps of tissue trying to figure out how it all works. What makes it tick? What give it life? As a poet, our understanding of the soul is revealed as we put words to the blank page. This cannot be done if we do not embrace our darkness.
Embracing our darkness, accepting it as an essential part of what it means to be human, and then using it as a tool for growth is at the heart of being a poet.
My words are my truth.
The words I write are my own personal truth. They are meant to be a bridge between the writer and the reader who comes to the realization that we all have shared experiences, maybe thousands of miles and many years apart, but we are able to share in that “ah ha” moment and know that we are not alone.
LK 