About Summer

Navigating Fault Lines 
By Summer Hardinge

 Some believe one day California will crack, fall
into sea. From above, it looks entirely possible,
the land cuts an angular silhouette, undulates
mountains, skirts bay and ocean.
 
In a more ancient story, Poseidon wielded his triton,
struck Earth, tremors erupted, bridges collapsed, roads
changed course, buildings toppled, thousands lost.
 
Lately I’ve encountered my own fault lines:
a trembling building, fear of lying under rubble,
wanting last sight sky...    
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I have always loved words and foolin' around with them. As a child in the mountains of southwest Virginia, I relished the oral tradition of telling stories and listened to tales and poetry of the region and of family. Books and all those stories kept me company while I played in the woods and fields. There was always something to read, write, to talk about, or to imagine. 

Though I've grown up a bit since then, my love of words and wordplay continues. As an actor, singer, and teacher of English and creative writing for 21 years, books and words have been my center. 

This love for writing sparked as I participated in the Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) 2013 training workshop and retreat. I found the experience one of the most exciting and formative in my life. The AWA training led me to form groups of my own and seek out other writers. In workshops, I love talking to people of all ages about writing and craft, listening to others' words, trying on new forms, and being part of a strong writers' community.

Writing continues to ground me. 
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​Summer 's poetry may be found in  The Ekphrastic Review, The Rappahannock Review, Beltway Poetry Quarterly, and Peregrine. Summer is the 2019 recipient of First Place in the Poetry Contest, sponsored by the Bethesda Urban Partnership. Summer leads and participates in workshops with other writers and artists in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C.