|
Site Index
Home
About the IWL
Annual IWL Writer's Conference
Annual IWL Writing Contest
Information on IWL Chapters
Summary of Leagazette
Links to IWL Member & other writing sites
IWL Member Page
Member Only Area
Site Map
Contact Us
|
|
Sandpoint Chapter
Idaho Writers' League
Writer of the Year
2001
Vardis Fisher Award
2002
Helen L. Campbell has been writing since childhood; her first nationally
published work was in 1970. Helen's articles, poems, and short stories
have appeared in publications such as: Grit, Scholastic Scope, The
Spokesman-Review, Grade Teacher, Jack and Jill, Catholic Digest, and
Highlights for Children. Helen is a member of the Sandpoint and
Coeur d'Alene chapters of IWL, Bonner County Historical Society,
California State Poetry Society and Kentucky State Poetry Society.
(For information about Helen's books see:
http://www.idahowritersleague.com/HCampbell.html)
I was born in western Pennsylvania and lived on a farm until I was 12 years old. When the farm was sold, we
moved into a nearby town, where I went to a small high school-only 21 students in my graduating class. I
sang in the girl's glee club and played cornet in the band, but what I liked best was reading. Since our town
had no library, my reading choices were limited to the books in our tiny high school library.
After high school, I attended Pennsylvania State University, and received a degree in music education. I
taught music for several years in Colorado and California and later taught first and second grade. I also
worked as a social worker and, at the time of my early retirement in 1995, I was an investigator for the Kern
County juvenile court. I now live in Sandpoint, Idaho, with Pat, who is my husband and best friend. I have
a son, a daughter, and five grandchildren. They all live in California.
I can't remember a time, if ever, that I wasn't writing. I would write for pleasure, to ease an emotional pain, to
amuse myself, or just for the fun of creating and “visiting” characters I loved. In several of my jobs, writing
skills were essential, so my hobby-writing was a real boon to me.
My first published work was a patriotic essay. I was a senior in high school and had won first place in an
American Legion writing contest. It was almost twenty years later that I had two poems published in a church
newsletter, then three operettas in a national teachers' magazine. I was on my way!
I write all sorts of things: poems, short stories, non-fiction and historical pieces, music, anecdotes, letters to
the editor. My advice to anyone who says they're interested in writing is this:
Write and keep on writing; study and don't be too proud to learn. Don't get discouraged
if everything doesn't come out perfect every time (There are plenty of words to go around.),
and be your own best fan!
Click on image below to see larger picture
Updated: December 14, 2004
|
