Words For Friends: Katherine Dunn

Art logo by Katherine Dunn, used by permission of the artist

 So I've been thinking: this year I wanted to reach out a bit more, give a bit more, and do a bit more. There are so many compelling people, and stories-- and interesting people trying to do good and create delight, so why not try to help, or at least highlight them here?

I'm not sure how, or if, this humble idea will work in the long run, but you can only start at the beginning, right?  I'm not sure what to call this sort of thing: Words For Friends? Let's just use that for now, and see where it goes...

So here it is, today's post features a fellow Dreamer, and a braver soul than I; she is, in fact, someone I want to be when I grow up. No, seriously: Katherine Dunn is one of the few people who has gotten me into the predicament I'm in. Because a few years ago, I stumbled onto her amazing blog, and what I found had affirmed all of the notions I was told was too crazy. She is an ARTIST, A FARMER, and A WRITER. All of the very things I had hoped to combine, but was told that it was useless trying to pursue ANY of them, much less try to juggle ALL THREE.

But here was a woman doing it. Spectacularly. Confidently. Even heart-breakingly. Each word told a real story, a poetic her-story, but there it was, warts and all. I can't fully speak for Katherine, of course, but her art is magical, of an otherworldly quality, but also quite still and simple, as are her words. There is something frank, lovable, and stark about her whole life, and I think she has been very candid about her love of nature and her animals, and her respect for life and death.

I get the feeling her life is as lucid and as complicated as yours or mine. Her worries about being an artist, being taken seriously, being able to make money, being able to negotiate the lives of her animals only made me want to do the same thing even more. 

You can find her art, words, and photography almost daily  HERE
And you can view more of her art HERE

 She is an accomplished artist and writer, and what I find particularly endearing is that she is a rescuer of animals, particularly those that are elderly and sick, the kind that would be easily overlooked. She takes in senior barnyard animals, campaigns for animal rescues that care for older, or abandoned animals. She has a particular affection for donkeys, it's true, but it doesn't end there. She has made it a mission to host a Pie Day on her farm, annually, to help animals and senior humans, and in general, she makes it her business to care for creatures of all shapes and sizes, and document these adventures in her own unique way.

Currently, Katherine is trying to create and publish a book about these animals she has come to know, and this life on her farm, called Misfits of Love. Publishing a book is downright difficult (I can say this to some degree, as I have friends in publishing and--oh, my stars--is it ever a crazy thing to do, getting a book published), so Katherine could use your help.

She currently has a Kickstarter campaign, to try to fund the publishing of what promises to be an enchanting book...

If you are interested in the project, or would like to help a fellow farmer and dreamer get to her goals, HERE IS THE LINK.
You can peruse the site and learn more about the project itself, or view the video.....





In any case, if you'd like to make a donation, there are about 9 days of the Kickstarter campaign still left to go. It is a small, but kind gesture on one artist's hope to bring the interesting and impactful stories of animals to light. Or, perhaps, you can pass along this info so that others might know of it, too...


If nothing else, you can also visit her site and say "hello." Just tell her "Zan sent me!"