Kim Berkhof Bolt, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a 25-year educator and is currently pursuing her dream of writing fiction. At home she is a wife, mom of three, and dog owner; she enjoys escaping life through reading and running.
Kim’s Story
Kim shares how her writing journey started in this blog post.
Long Bio
Kim has been an educator for over 25 years, teaching every subject and age group from 8-year-olds to college students. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be an educator. In 2005, when she joined the Lake Michigan Writing Project, she found a home where she could reconnect with her love of writing and geek out with fellow educators who also identified as writers. Because she can never seem to get enough of school, she repeatedly went back as a student.
As a result, she holds two master’s degrees: one in Secondary Education from Grand Valley State University, and one from Queens University (North Carolina) with a fiction emphasis. She is a member of the Michigan Reading Association (MRA), the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the Lake Michigan Writing Project (LMWP), and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
Her writings include a flash fiction story, Intertwined, published in Every Day Fiction (February 2023), as well as academic works such as her Master’s Capstone, Perhaps the Dog Should Die: Writing About Dying and Death in Fiction (Queens University, July 2023) and Master’s Thesis, Engaging Readers in the Middle School Classroom (Grand Valley State University, August 2006).
Beyond writing and teaching, she has been married to her high school sweetheart for over 25 years; together, they have three children and one dog (whom she spoils more than her children). When life becomes too much, she finds enjoyment in escaping by running and reading.