Kathy Potter Memorial Writing Award
Wednesday, October 23rd, 6:00PM
On this day it will be my honor to present Kathy Potter's powerful work. She was a gifted writer, a keen editor and a valuable member of the writing community. Potter was also a graphic specialist at Pengad Inc. in Bayonne and graduated summa cum laude from NJCU. I looked forward to hearing the important work of the current students who have been honored with this prestigious award created by in her memory.
On a Personal Note:
Kathy Potter, was my friend, my confidant & my esteemed colleague. She was always inspired, always gentle - never judged, never complained. Because we were contemporaries, we bonded over being moms & returning to school later in life & shared with one another the difficulty in finding balance between writing and family. Plus we pondered on what it meant to be a writer. I would often ask Kathy things like- “Is it all about the process? Is it the cathartic nature of writing that drives one to put pen to paper? When one loves to write, is writing simply enough?“ Her opinion mattered to me, it was gospel and I needed to hear from her how to navigate this complicated life.
In her back yard we drank tea, ate cake and discussed these topics while the light changed & the bells from St. Henry’s Church announced it was 7 pm. Time to return home. Sometimes we ventured to the 92nd St. Y & other NYC poetry events. We felt like teenagers again. Other times we talked on the phone, while cooking for our kids, until the battery on our phones died.
Kathy Potter died January 6, 2013. She left behind an indescribable void in our writing community. For me, loosing her was like loosing a piece of myself. Honestly I don’t think I’ve ever fully recovered from this. Her memories & her writings serve as a soothing balm for my heart on some days. The poems we wrote back & forth to one another in our 100 words group, your words Kathy, I revisit over and over and over again.
PROGRAM:
1. Jacqueline Ellis, Department of History
2. Remarks from:
• Dr. Corey Frost, Chairperson, Department of English 3. Remarks from on behalf of
Kathy’s family:
• Ellen Hackett Pfar
Presentation of 2020 Kathy Potter Memorial Writing Awards:
Serena Isaac, “It’s an Isaac Thing”
Alyssa Bacay, “A Rosary Held So Tight It Leaves Marks”
Readings: Introduced by Dr. Edvige Giunta, Department of English:
Melida Rodas, selections from Kathy Potter’s writing
Kathy Potter Memorial Writing Award Winners, 2024
o Serena Isaac o Alyssa Bacay
Closing remarks: Dr. Joshua Fausty, Department of English
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