PRINTThe Write Stuff
Missouri women dish on their lives as writers
March 5, 2009 | 12:00 a.m. CST
In honor of Women’s History Month, Vox celebrates some of the women of mid-Missouri who ward off writer’s block every day so we can escape to worlds filled with poetry, fantasy and a better vocabulary. From short stories to novels, these women prove you don’t have to be from a big city to make a big impact.
Barri Bumgarner
Barri Bumgarner
Carolyn Mulford
Linda Fisher
Deborah Zemke
The cover of the book 8 Days by Barri Bumgarner
Some of Linda Fisher's work can be found in the Alzheimer's Anthology of Unconditional Love, ...
The Feedsack Dress, pictured here, is based on Carolyn Mulford's childhood.
Don't Feed the Babysitter to Your Boa Constrictor is one of Deborah Zemke's books.
Contrary to her editor’s belief, Barri Bumgarner is definitely a woman. “I wrote some articles for Writer’s Digest, and years later when I met my editor for the first time, he was shocked I was a girl,” Bumgarner says. “I guess that just shows how sexist this industry can be. J.K. Rowling knows. She goes by J.K. for a reason.” Bumgarner believes that her name has given her an edge in furthering her career that includes the sci-fi thriller, 8 Days, the psychological thriller, Slipping and the young-adult fiction novel, Dregs. Bumgarner has several books in the works, including a nonfiction crime book following the murder trial of former Columbia police officer Steven Rios, a sequel to Dregs and a prequel to 8 Days.
Linda Fisher
Journaling became a release for Fisher during her husband’s 10-year battle with dementia, but when she won a short story contest in 2006, her thoughts turned to the possibilities of publication. Most of her work can be found in anthologies such as the Alzheimer’s Anthology of Unconditional Love, which she also helped edit and develop. She might look like your standard milk-and-cookies mom, but Fisher refuses to be underestimated as she balances her day job at Central Missouri Electric and her role as the president of the Columbia chapter of the Missouri Writer’s Guild. She recently sent her agent a completed draft of an all-too-familiar tale — a woman’s journey from therapeutic writing to publication.
Carolyn Mulford
Carolyn Mulford thinks her childhood was boring. Most Missouri teachers and students would beg to differ. Her boring childhood spent near Kirksville inspired her 2007 novel, The Feedsack Dress, which has been chosen for the Reading Circle Program, a recommended reading list for Missouri schools. The Midwest Book Review praised The Feedsack Dress, a 1949 on-the-farm version of the 2004 movie Mean Girls, for its originality and charm. Mulford says she started writing because she loved reading. “When you’re fond of reading stories, you want to write stories,” she says. Mulford is currently shopping one mystery novel to publishers and has another still squirming under the force of her pen.
Deborah Zemke
Deborah Zemke says her dog often stares at her wondering, “Are we going to sit around the house all day, or is something more interesting going to happen?” Dr. Dolittle moments like this are a source of inspiration for the children’s books Zemke writes and illustrates. She started illustrating children’s books full time in 1988 and eventually wrote her own. Her tales include profound wisdom such as Don’t Feed the Babysitter to the Boa Constrictor. What she is most known for, however, are doodling books, such as D is for Doodle. Zemke’s newest books How to Win Friends and Influence Creatures and Wishes for You were released Wednesday, and she just completed My Furry Valentine, a Valentine’s Day book that will be released next year.
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