Prince William Poet Laureate nominee releases fifth book

You might know Katherine Gotthardt from her writing her at Potomac Local. But she also has a poetic side, one that you can see in her new book. 

From a press release: 

Author and Prince William Poet Laureate nominee Katherine Gotthardt has released her fifth book, a collection of original poetry entitled, Bury Me Under a Lilac. Gotthardt calls the book “a poetic journey from birth through passing,” saying it is “meant as an artistic discussion of transition.”

“In a way, these poems are ‘in your face’ with hard-to-handle topics like illness and death. But I don’t see the book as depressing at all,” says Gotthardt, who is also the Vice President of Content Marketing for Prince William Living.

“It’s just honest. Some things in life aren’t easy, but when you get a little closer, examine them, interpret them, give them meaning, then a lot of what you were afraid of before suddenly becomes something else, maybe even something spiritual.”

Some of the poems were written when Gotthardt’s mother-in-law, and then her mother, passed within two years of each other. The title poem sums up what Gotthardt says she has taken away from those experiences and others that have contributed to life’s many lessons.

“Death is something that is always with us,” she says. “Human beings inherently fear that. We’re supposed to. We have a built-in survival mechanism. But because we fear it, we put this glaze of horror over it that isn’t always necessary. Death itself isn’t always the issue.

“While I don’t get up in the morning and say, ‘Hey, today I’m one step closer to the grave! Go me!’ I feel like it’s a natural part of life, another transition.”

Gotthardt says that’s where beliefs about death become important.

“No matter what you believe, you’re better off sorting this kind of thing out fairly soon in life. Don’t spend your whole life in denial, hiding from the inevitable. Face it, analyze it, come to terms with it, and then get on with celebrating the everyday miracles that are too often overlooked.”

Other themes in the book explore identity, femininity, family, motherhood, and spirituality.

“I guess this is really a book about growing up,” Gotthardt says. “All these things happen to us throughout our lives, leading us to some kind of new beginning as we close out our human experience. I’d challenge readers to think about what their life means and approach it as purposefully and joyfully as possible.”

With a cover design by Sima Farra Button and interior design by Chelsea Tompkins and Scott Bricker, Bury Me Under a Lilac is available through Amazon now, and will soon be available through online distributors such as Barnes & Noble. For more information on the book and the author, visit KatherineGotthardt.com.

To support the art of Sima Farra Button and sign up to receive her forthcoming calendar, visit her Patreon page.