Marilyn J. Dykstra has been passionate about walking in nature ever since she walked out the backdoor as a child growing up in the Finger Lakes of upstate New York. Now as an adult living in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two young adult children, she is combining her two passions of walking in nature and writing poetry. She has a B.A. with a major in Spanish from Northwestern College in Orange City, IA, and an M.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA. She has lived all over the US north, south, east, and west. Wherever she goes, she enjoys hiking and backpacking with her family and dogs while writing poetry about her experiences. Her nature poetry, along with her photography, has been published in Valley Wilds — the Open Space Newsletter. Her chapbook Full Circle Reflections was a finalist in the 2020 Blue Light Poetry Prize Competition. Blue Light Press commended her for her imagistic, emotionally honest writing.
In addition, Marilyn has taught English to students of many races and nationalities at Grand View University (Des Moines IA), the University of New Mexico, Central New Mexico Community College, Savannah State University, and Chabot Community College (Hayward, CA). She is broadening her writing to include a COVID-19 Journal, a personal exploration of the stages of antiracism, and a young adult crime novel.
Her COVID-19 Journal includes her experiences hiking and walking with her husband and their dog while her husband suffered a heart infection and massive heart failure that led to heart surgery and five weeks in the hospital toward the end of the pandemic. Two poems from her COVID-19 Journal have been published online by the San Francisco Writing Institute and the San Francisco Public Library. Her personal exploration of antiracism includes her experience with identity and race while growing up during the Civil Rights era, teaching at an historical Black university, and ultimately adopting and raising a biracial son. Her young adult crime novel is based on her experiences as a youth during the 60’s growing up under the shadow of the mafia in an Italian immigrant community. She also enjoys teaching creative writing at Livermore Adult Education and editing for the Tri-Valley Writers Club.
Connections:
Rhythmic Ripples Word Press Blog:
https://rhythmicripplesblog.wordpress.com/
Marilyn’s Nature Journal on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Marilyns-Nature-Journal-101367418315881