Author Kim Berkhof Bolt

Author – Speaker – Mom of 3 (+1 dog)

Author: Kim

  • What I’m Writing

    (December 2025)

    A Holiday Poem​
    ​

    I’m neck deep in writing curriculum for my winter semester, so I thought I would share a poem I wrote a few years ago about the holidays.

    Fair warning: it’s not snowflakes and sleigh rides and all things magical.

    I don’t know when December and the Christmas season lost some of its luster for me. Perhaps it’s the overly busy schedule or the myopic perspective on gift giving. Maybe it’s the cloudy dates and the increasing darkness.

    Every year, at this time, I wish for one thing: a simple Christmas. With no noise or lights or activities or stuff.

    Forgive the cynical tone of the poem. But maybe some of the phrases will resonate with you. (And when you’re done, listen to Bing Crosby’s “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”)

    ​

    A Lament for Christmas

    I wasn’t at the stable, Lord

    I was too busy at church

    with the preparation of food

    for the shared holiday meal

    (I brought a bagged salad but don’t tell anyone)

    and the donating of presents

    and the writing of cards for the shut ins

    and rehearsing the Christmas program for hours and hours

    softening my “r” s until “Lord” sounds “Lawd”

    and the entire chorus crescendos appropriately

    to the forte news that your son is born.

    ​

    I wasn’t at the stable, Lord

    I was at the multitudes of holiday parties

    which celebrate Hannukah and Christmas

    and Xmas and Kwanzaa and nothing at all

    (if that is your thing)

    consuming chocolate and cheese and lots of small foods on sticks

    and wine and beer and hard liquor

    and even champagne

    (even though it’s not New Year’s Eve yet).

    ​

    I wasn’t at the stable, Lord

    I was purchasing gifts

    you see, I cut short our reserved day of thanksgiving

    to push and shove in order to begin collecting gifts

    to give to teachers and non-teachers,

    to leaders and non-leaders

    (I can’t even tell who is who anymore)

    but I am proud to announce that I have purchased

    dozens of perfect gifts, and dozens more of non-perfect gifts

    and an innumerable amount of gift cards,

    joyfully announcing to those who receive them:
    “Jesus is born! Here—have some plastic.”

    ​

    I wasn’t at the stable, Lord

    I was at the local school,

    I was dropping off items for their Christmas donation pajama drive

    and food drive

    and toy drive

    and ziploc baggie drive

    (because everyone should have ziploc baggies this time of year)​
    and the school Christmas program

    (which, for the record, is different from the church program and yet very much the same)

    I was prepping snacks for classroom celebrations

    (because pretzels and popcorn and M&Ms are somehow directly tied to religious celebrations)

    and making meals for support staff brunches

    and covering playground duty

    so that teachers could attend their own lunchtime Christmas party

    (which, for the record, is completely different from the company parties and not at all the same).

    ​

    I wasn’t at the stable, Lord

    I was sitting on Santa’s lap

    (which is a bit embarrassing to admit)

    I wasn’t going to do it, but he was there

    and I really just wanted to vocalize to someone

    what I really wanted for Christmas

    (portable technology or at the very least a gift card to purchase what I want)

    I was participating in the gingerbread house contest (third place, thank you very much)

    and riding the Santa train to who-knows-where

    and sending Christmas cards to every address imaginable

    (scalloped edges and matte finish, of course)

    and starting every morning consuming a chocolate from my advent calendar

    (the wine and cheese calendars sold out before I could get one)

    and ending each evening pushing my own curfew in order to

    watch every single Hallmark holiday movie

    what does this have to do with the birth of your son, you ask?

    no one seems to know, but frankly, no one seems to care.

    ​

    I wasn’t at the stable, Lord

    I didn’t get to hug Mary or fist bump Joseph

    I didn’t get to smell baby Jesus

    (because you know even the Son of God must have had that wonderful new baby smell)

    I didn’t get to take in the simple complexity

    of diety in the flesh, of unfathomable greatness in the smallest of humans

    I didn’t get to “go tell it on the mountains” with the shepherds

    that “Jesus Christ was born,”

    not because it was an evite requiring my RSVP

    but because, in the stillness of the moment was joy

    True

    Joy

    “joy to the world” kind of joy

    and the response to that joy

    was adoration

    and excitement

    and jubilation

    that can only come from those who were there.

    ​

    But I didn’t get to experience that

    because

    I wasn’t at the stable, Lord.

  • What I’m Reading

    November 2025

    1. When Breath Becomes Air

    Author: Paul Kalanithi

    Length: 228 pages

    Publication: January 2016

    Genre: memoir

    Audience: adult

    SUMMARY

    Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, and the next he was a patient struggling to live. And just like that, the future he and his wife had imagined evaporated. When Breath Becomes Air chronicles Kalanithi’s transformation from a naïve medical student “possessed,” as he wrote, “by the question of what, given that all organisms die, makes a virtuous and meaningful life” into a neurosurgeon at Stanford working in the brain, the most critical place for human identity, and finally into a patient and new father confronting his own mortality.

    What makes life worth living in the face of death? What do you do when the future, no longer a ladder toward your goals in life, flattens out into a perpetual present? What does it mean to have a child, to nurture a new life as another fades away? These are some of the questions Kalanithi wrestles with in this profoundly moving, exquisitely observed memoir.

    Goodreads review
    MY REVIEW

    This book had been on my “must reads” list for quite some time. Perhaps it was an overdose of too much fiction (is that even a thing?); maybe the firework explosion of colors on the trees reminded me that in the Midwest we are in the season where leaves die before winter.

    Within this short memoir, Kalanithi packs a poignant punch of what it means to walk the line between living and dying. As a neurosurgeon, he experienced that almost daily as he navigated his way around fragile spinal columns and complicated brains. He thought he understood the reality of death and our own finite timelines…until he himself was given a terminal cancer diagnosis.

    I loved how this memoir was written in two sections: one of his life pre-cancer and one after it. In the first part, we empathize with his fast-paced, goal-oriented life. How much can he get done in a day? How can he advance his career? He celebrates crawling into bed at night, beyond exhausted, from having accomplished more than was humanly possible. He thought he was living life to the fullest.

    And then. Life came to a screeching halt with his cancer diagnosis. Not just early stages either–stage 4. Kalanithi writes about how time changed, from a clock-driven, calendar-based concept to something more arbitrary. Instead of “what time is dinner?” or “what day should I get that done?” he asks himself, “what should I do with the rest of my life?”

    Despite his father’s relentless positivity, Kalanithi’s story does not end happily. Or maybe it does. As his wife writes in the epilogue, Paul lived his life with an authenticity as he “griev[ed] the loss of the future he planned and forge[d] a new one” (219).

    Maybe that’s all we should strive for in our own lives.

    2. Challenger Deep

    Author: Neal Shusterman

    Length: 320 pages

    Publication: April 2016

    Genre: fiction

    Audience: middle grade/young adult (deal with mental illness)

    SUMMARY

    Caden Bosch is on a ship that’s headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench.

    Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behaviour.

    Caden Bosch is designated the ship’s artist in residence to document the journey with images.

    Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head.

    Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.

    Caden Bosch is torn.

    Goodreads Review
    MY REVIEW

    Neal Shusterman is coming to a writing festival a local university holds in my area, and this was a recommended read. I am always looking for a middle grade-to-young adult novel; there’s something for me in the way authors of this genre are willing to tackle seemingly “adult-only” topics and bring them down to the middle school and high school level. I feel we have always underestimated this age group, and my years teaching middle school and high school confirmed this. They are clearly aware of what is going on in the world and what is happening to people; they just need it brought to them on a level they can understand. Since the onset of the internet and mobile devices, I believe this is even more true today. We shouldn’t shelter this age group from reality; instead, we should carefully choose how to present it to them.

    Shusterman accepts this challenge and presents a world where Caden Bosch lives in a deep dark place of mental illness. “Unable to function in everyday society” mental illness. “We have no choice but to hospitalize you” mental illness. It’s a fascinating journey into Caden’s head, to experience med changes and hallucinations and friendships and reconfiguring life. But the world of mental illness is not an easy one for those who live it, or for those who love someone with it.

    Shusterman’s ability to write so poignantly comes from–as I feared while reading this novel–his own pain and heartbreak as he watched his son battle mental illness. The drawings in the book come from his son. Not all stories end well, but Brendan Shusterman “found his piece of sky and escaped gloriously from the deep” (Author’s Note).

    I appreciated Shusterman’s final thoughts that he hopes Challenger Deep will help others “to empathize, and to understand what it’s like to sail the dark, unpredictable waters of mental illness” (Author’s Note).

    This was a difficult, but worthwhile read. And I would gladly put it in the hands of someone of a younger age who is able to handle the depth and struggle of this topic.

    3. What Happened to Rachel Riley?

    Author: Claire Swinarski

    Length: 352 pages

    Publication: November 2024

    Genre: fiction

    Audience: middle grade/young adult (deals with gender harassment)

    SUMMARY

    An eighth grader uses social media posts, passed notes, and other clues to find out why a formerly popular girl is now the pariah of her new school in this #metoo story.

    Anna Hunt may be the new girl at East Middle School, but she can already tell there’s something off about her eighth-grade class. Rachel Riley, who just last year was one of the most popular girls in school, has become a social outcast. But no one, including Rachel Riley herself, will tell Anna why. As a die-hard podcast enthusiast, Anna knows there’s always more to a story than meets the eye. So she decides to put her fact-seeking skills to the test and create her own podcast around the question that won’t stop running through her. What happened to Rachel Riley? With the entire eighth grade working against her, Anna dives headfirst into the evidence. Clue after clue, the mystery widens, painting an even more complex story than Anna could have anticipated. But there’s one thing she’s certain about, if you’re going to ask a complicated question, you better be prepared for the fallout that may come with the answer.

    Goodreads Review
    MY REVIEW

    When a beloved middle school teacher “highly” recommends a book, I read it. In fact, in this particular case, I walked to the library that very afternoon and picked up a copy. She was spot on that this was a great read, and I had it finished within 48 hours.

    I loved how this book was told through different elements in addition to narrative writing. There were emails and announcements and text strands, completely immersing itself in contemporary Middle Grade fiction. Because the story was told in reverse order (we don’t actually know what happened to Rachel Riley until the end of the book, although the “what happened” occurred before the book was written), many of the emails and announcements don’t entirely make sense as we untangle the massive plot knot that is teenage relationships.

    More importantly, this is a novel about what constitutes as bullying and teasing. Yes, there is a gendered aspect to this particular tale and it is an important one. However, what is critical for this age group in our social media filled society is understanding what qualifies as bullying, “soft” as it may be. People may laugh it off or say it was “just for fun” and that “no one was really hurt,” but until we can teach this next generation to protect themselves physically, mentally and emotionally and to place their own safety first, we have to keep preaching loudly. Personally, I find a MG novel is the perfect way to do that.

    All ages should read this book. And, if you’re a parent of a teenager, read this book and talk about it together.

    4. Wreck

    Author: Catherine Newman

    Length:224 pages

    Publication: October 2025

    Genre: fiction

    Audience: adult

    SUMMARY

    Rocky, still anxious, nostalgic, and funny, is living in Western Massachusetts with her husband Nick and their daughter Willa, who’s back home after college. Their son, Jamie, has taken a new job in New York, and Mort, Rocky’s widowed father, has moved in.

    It all couldn’t be more ridiculously normal . . . until Rocky finds herself obsessed with a local accident that only tangentially affects them—and with a medical condition that, she hopes, won’t affect them at all.

    Goodreads Review
    MY REVIEW

    After reading and loving Sandwich earlier this year, I highly anticipated Newman’s sequel. I had considered purchasing it as my special Winter Break vacation book, but when my hold request became available at the library, I decided to read it early.

    When people ask me what Newman’s books are about, I usually respond with a shoulder shrug and the word “nothing.” Because Newman’s books aren’t about driving plots or action over the course of a certain period of time. Both have been about a middle-age woman living with all the thoughts and feelings that come with the age and learning to unpublished rule book that comes with having adult kids.

    In a way that Sandwich was lovely to me, Wreck felt a little bit too much like its own title. Perhaps it’s because this book was not set in the nostalgic beach home with her family on vacation. Perhaps it’s because both wrecks in the novel, an external event and her own internal one, posed a much darker view on life. For me, whereas Rocky was pleasantly emotional in the first book, she became unpleasantly mental in this novel. A friend saw this coming with the first book and told me that Rocky just thinks everything and every situation is about her.

    Ultimately, I am glad I did not spend my money on purchasing this rather expensive, shortish-length hardcover book. It did continue to offer provoking thoughts and perspectives on middle age and what “wrecks” us (or, maybe more astutely, what we allow to wreck us), but overall it felt like a country song where the same, sad tune was sung, just different lyrics in the second verse.

  • What YOU’RE Writing

    November 2025

    A Thank You Note

    Maybe it’s all that gratitude I’ve been practicing with a few friends that brought me to this place. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not suddenly a saint of thankfulness or a perpetually grateful person moving forward. (If you know me, you know December is my most Grinchy month. I’m so grateful I don’t have to keep a journal then…)

    But the daily practice of looking around and seeing the good has been impactful. Who knew that seeing a pile of clean laundry waiting to be folded could remind me how lucky I am to have so many clothes to wear?

    There were things I was thankful for, to be sure. And even places that found themselves regularly in my journal (hot showers and my bed). But what I noticed most is that my gratitude was most genuine when I was thankful for people. (I tried thanking my clean laundry basket, but apparently it fell on deaf ears).

    Did you realize how many people show up for you on a regular basis? From the garbage collector who hauls away our stinky bins, to the neighbor who pauses for a quick chat while walking the dog. From the friend who texts you a meme she knows you’ll laugh at, to the family member who quietly does the chore you hate.

    There are so many good people in the world. Too often the news, and even local gossip, floods my world and turns me cynical. But on the seesaw of life, the good ones definitely outweigh the bad.

    As we tiptoe from November and December, I challenge all of you, my Readers, to write one thank you note. Recognize someone who performed the tiniest act with the biggest heart or someone that shows up for you again and again.

    Write it on a card and send it snail mail. Or send an email. Or even a text. Don’t let the medium get in the way of the message that needs to be sent.

    Thanks need to be given away. Daily and unconditionally. Because thanks are free (even if stamps aren’t).

    So what are you waiting for? Send out a thank-you note today. And maybe one tomorrow. Hopefully, this will become your practice for the month of December. We could all use a little extra positivity and encouragement to get through one of the busiest, most stressful months of the year.

    After all, gratitude isn’t just something we should feel on our own. It’s something meant to share.

    ​
    In the meantime, I’ll check my mailbox daily. Just in case one of your thank-you notes comes my way. 😉

  • What I’m Thinking

    November 2025

    Naps

    I know what you’re probably thinking: She’s not really going to write an entire newsletter about naps, is she?

    Oh, but I am. Because for me, naps have become part of what it means to live…and to write.

    Before October 2023, my life was nonstop. I thrived on being everything for everyone, all the time. Honestly, I loved it when people said, “I don’t know how you do it all.” It felt like my superpower.

    Then I met my kryptonite. After battling an illness for six weeks, I woke up to a very different reality: daily fatigue. While my health has improved a lot since then (and I’m deeply grateful), naps have become a constant in my life.

    Most days I can keep them short—thirty minutes. Other days, my body insists on more. And while you might be thinking, That actually sounds lovely, let me tell you—Western culture (especially the productivity-driven Dutch West Michigan kind) isn’t exactly nap-friendly.

    I’ve taken more car naps than I can count. One time, when my timer went off, it took me a minute to even remember where I was. (Answer: Target’s parking lot.)

    I have transitioned from teaching in-person to teaching online, and this has been a positive shift for me. But I have a dear friend who is recovering from a major surgery and is attempting to return to the office full time. She hears from her boss that she is supported, but she also wonders how to carve out that necessary nap sometime during her work day. (Yes, she confessed to me that she has locked her door, turned off the lights and taken a short office cat nap.)

    Studies show that napping isn’t just indulgent; they’re actually good for us. The American Heart Association, Harvard Health and the National Sleep Foundation all agree that napping can restore mental clarity, fight off fatigue, boost productivity and improve overall well-being. Naps are medically necessary for infants and toddlers as their bodies and brains do the monumental work of growing and developing. And yet, most of us only allow ourselves the occasional Sunday nap, possibly with a football game or a NASCAR race on in the background as white noise.

    So yes, today I’ll nap. Just like most days. And before you start feeling bad for me, know this: I’m okay. Honestly, I might even be better for it. Napping has forced me to slow down and reevaluate my priorities. If I only have so many awake hours, I want to spend them well.

    I no longer accomplish everything, every day. I’m not the superhero I once was. And that’s not a bad thing. Spiderman once said, “with great power comes great responsibility.” I would say I’m now living in the world of “moderate power” with “moderate responsibility.”

    And you know what? That feels a lot more manageable

    My dog Teddy making naps look so cute and easy

  • What I’m (Re)Writing

    November 2025

    Revising: My First Chapters

    If given the choice, I’d probably rather scrub toilets or give my dog a bath than sit down to rework a chapter. And yet here I am, writing about revision… mostly as a way to delay doing it.

    Why? Because revision is hard.

    I tell my students this all the time. I hear it from other writers. And I feel it in my own work whenever I’m told, “This isn’t quite working—you’ll need to revise.”

    Why is revision so difficult? Part of it is that writing is personal; we’ve poured our heart into those words. To hear they need to be changed feels a little like being told we need to be changed. Another part is that many of us put our best effort into a first draft, which makes it hard to imagine how to make our best even better. And sometimes we’re just told, “Revise,” without any clear sense of what or why, which can leave us feeling like lost hikers with no trail map.

    Because of all this, I devote my EN101 semester to revision. I believe it’s one of the most important writing skills my students can carry with them. Far beyond college papers. Honestly, it’s easier to teach it to others (and sometimes more fun, especially when I pull out Play-Doh for middle schoolers) than to face revision myself.

    But I’m not as opposed to it as I once was. In fact, I’ve learned to embrace feedback as a tool for growth. Back in January, I received comments from eight Beta Readers. Their insights guided four solid weeks of revision on my manuscript, and my writing was better for it.

    Now, almost a year later, I’m hearing back from agents. More than a few have told me my query letter and story concept are “intriguing.” But those same agents have also said the first pages of my manuscript feel “underwhelming.”

    That’s feedback worth paying attention to.

    So here I am again, staring down the daunting task of re-seeing my opening chapters, imagining new ways to pull a reader into the world of my story. It feels big. It feels exhausting. But it also feels necessary. Because being a writer means committing to the whole process, both the parts we love and the parts we’d rather avoid.

    So I take a deep breath. I remind myself of what I tell my students. And I open the manuscript.

    If I can do my hard thing today, then so can you. Revision may never stop being hard. But maybe that’s the point. Hard isn’t bad. Hard is where growth begins.

    We can do hard things together.