Kate Pryor

When I was in the first grade, my teacher requested a meeting with my father. She was perplexed how it was that the daughter of the school's janitor, a high school drop-out, had such a precocious knack with language. Though it was not until many years later that the extent of this conversation became known to me, this special teacher's recognition sparked my love of reading and writing. She was my alpha.  

My omega, the steadfast feminist who guided my senior high school English years, was equally impactful. She fostered my appreciation for the canon of classic literature, challenged my thinking with different perspectives through which texts could be interpreted, and supported my growth as I found my unique voice. Poetry, short stories and plays became the outlet for my emotions and creativity, the means by which I processed my place in the world and the issues I saw around me.  

I am one of thousands who form the legacy of these women, and, as an adult, chose to follow their footsteps and become an educator. Now leading the English department of a Queensland secondary school, I dedicate myself to trying to evoke a passion for the beauty and power of language in others. 

My omega never strayed from exposing us to rich, erudite language, and we were all the better for it. I believe that many of the texts aimed at young adults succeed in furthering their interest in reading, but do not always challenge their development. My ambition in writing, beyond setting a positive example for my children, is to create texts that could be studied in senior secondary English curriculums: young adult fiction that prompts students to step up to a higher level of thinking, rather than dumbing down to warm, squishy comfort.