Marylin Houle

During my time in the womb, ink flowed through the umbilical chord and into my veins... when I was born, I was a writer.

When I learned to read at the age of three, I devoured words, and when I learned to write soon after, my direction in life was clear.

I'm a writer - there's no other way.

As a young child, I wrote short stories and poems for fun - my teachers praised and encouraged my talent.

The short stories and poems continued as I got older, and I found myself more and more pulled by the pen.

There was the typical teenage poetry, though mine took on a new extreme as I filled countless notebooks with the musings of a girl coming of age.

By the time I reached high school and realized writing could actually be a career choice, I decided journalism was the route for me.

I spent a semester at the local newspaper writing and editing articles � having a taste of what the life of a journalist might be like. I found it fun and exciting, but my final decision was to forgo a journalism career and opt for freelance writer. I found the article writing lacked the creative freedom that made the writing process meaningful to me.

So I continued to write.

I hauled myself up in my dad�s apartment after school and on weekends and wrote non-stop until I had a full length (hand written) novel completed.

I continued to write.

Throughout my adolescent years I honed my skills in poetry and prose, dabbling in the odd essay, article, opinion piece, etc.

Not until my early twenties did I finally realize it was time to start making money from my work, so in July of 2004, I self-published my first book of poetry, �Swallowed By The Room,� a collection of love poetry � my labour of love.

It felt wonderful to share my pieces with others and make a little money from my art. I was an author.

I then delved into the world of freelance writing a little further and managed to sell a few more pieces.

In 2002, I completed the Grammar For Writers course at Mohawk College. I have been a member of The Ontario Poetry Society (where I was Hamilton Branch Manager), The Hamilton Poetry Center, and The Canadian Federation of Poets. I am currently a member of Arts Hamilton.

I live in Hamilton, Ontario, where I was born and raised, and continue to be active in local literary culture.

I run a group called Hamilton Writers for local published and unpublished writers to meet and greet at a local establishment for chit-chat, networking, and workshopping.

Right now, I am working on a new, long over-due poetry collection, and I'm in the process of writing a historical fiction novel.

Since 2002 I have been the chief editor of the quarterly lit ezine, Words Words Words � throughout the years it has grown in quality and readership.

Among my favourite things to write are poetry, opinion pieces, surrealistic short prose, and articles on the writing process.

My range as a writer is, and always has been, very eclectic and I do not wish to be categorized into any one genre.

I�ve found my greatest inspiration has been nature, both human and environmental.

My favourite writer is the late Doctor Gonzo, Hunter S. Thompson. His concise, personal style and talent for colourful description is certainly something I aspire to.

Aside from the works of HST, I mostly fill my bookshelves with the classics: �Valley Of The Dolls�, �Lady Chatterly�s Lover�, and �The Scarlet Letter� among many. My love of reading is varied, much like my writing.

Throughout my life, my passion for writing has only burned brighter

� I live and breathe the written word.

Words Words Words -
Quarterly annual literary ezine dedicated to the art of the written word.

Hamilton Writers -
Promoting literary culture in the Hamilton area.