Sarah McKinley works in healthcare by day and on her memoir by night. Her writing explores complicated grief and how it reshapes a life. She lives for the Canadian winter, skiing through snow-covered trails, clapping at concerts until her hands bruise, and the kind of laughter that makes her stomach hurt.

She believes much of the world’s division stems from the narratives we create about others as a way to shield ourselves from discomfort and deep emotion. In her writing she attempts to create immersive experiences where readers can experience complicated situations from a place of safety.

During her time at Caetani, inspired by Sveva’s Recapitulation Series, as well as books from her reading list, she restructured and revised a significant portion of her work in progress. Moreover, with the time and space to focus on her project she was able to move past blocks and write several new scenes, which prior to her arrival, had been stalled for a few months.

Sarah’s work has appeared in Mud Season Review. She can be found on Substack, where she co-writes Curiosity Kitten(s). Alongside her writing partner, they share the ups and downs and often messy reality of being an emerging writer, in the hopes of helping others feel less alone.