Stephanie Harper

Writing is hard. It feels painfully obvious and entirely over-simplified to say this, but it is true nonetheless. What makes writing difficult is probably different and also the same for many of us.

Discovering Unexpected Truths
Winter/Spring 2023 Number 86
KALEIDOSCOPE EXPLORING THE EXPERIENCE OF DISABILITY THROUGH LITERATURE AND THE FINE ARTS

Pain has taught me a lot about who I am. My contemplative practice has been an important part of my journey into knowing myself.

The shape and size of my body affect my healthcare.

Years into my chronic illness journey, through much trial and error, I have finally found a reading rhythm that works for me. It isn’t a perfect system, and I still feel sad seeing the books that go unread on my shelves. But overall, my reading life has actually been enriched in many ways.

I may never experience the typical trappings of adulthood due to my chronic illness, but I won’t be ashamed about it, writes Stephanie Harper

Every time I sing, I feel this juxtaposition of delight and sorrow, suffering and solace.

In a perfect world, I would practice my writing all day, every day, churning out work at a rate of prolificacy that would make the Stephen Kings or Joyce Carol Oates of the world blush. But this is not a perfect world and I am far from a perfect writer. This is real life.

’ve been told I share too much online. I probably do. Since I woke up with a headache on October 28th, 2013 that’s never gone away, I’ve posted many of the details of my ongoing journey with chronic pain, diagnosis, and treatment. My symptoms have increased to affect my whole body and I have become systemically ill, so I’ve continued to share the ups and downs of my situation, as well as some of the wisdom I’ve gleaned along the way.

Meeting someone new is hard—especially when you're the 'sick girl'

As a poet, I often root my verse in the natural world. Every poem in my debut collection, Sermon Series, engages with creation in some way. During the two years I spent writing it, I wrestled with both my sense of vocation and a debilitating chronic illness. Through poetry, I could step outside of my struggles and better understand my place in God’s earth. Poetry taught me to engage my work and life through an ecocentric lens.

Postponing a dinner date or coffee meetup has larger repercussions when you have a chronic illness

Practicing compassion through meditation and physical acts will create positive, lasting change in 2019

When I first began to tell people about my plans to take a solo trip to Iceland, I was met with a lot of surprise, and even a little resistance.

If you’d asked me a decade ago what grace meant to me, I’m not sure I could have answered.