Meet Catherine
Catherine Cicuttini began writing poetry when she was young as a way to process her very big feelings. For most of her life, she’s experienced the world in a vastly different way than those around her. Poetry offered an avenue to share what was happening in her tumultuous inner world.
She often felt invisible, and yet, in the rare moments when she felt perceived, she was desperate to remain hidden. Poetry became a soothing balm for a little girl who wanted so badly to be seen, but only if and when it felt safe.
Poetry remains important to Catherine because it’s a gateway to emotion. She shares, “I don’t always experience my feelings in a typical way, and there are certain emotions I can only seem to access through art. When I write a poem about something that feels profound to learn or discover, I can share those same emotions with my readers.”
Many people use poetry as a bridge to discovery, a way to explore and name the questions that matter. Catherine believes the best poems offer both a profound question and a form of comfort. Most often, the comfort of feeling less alone in our experiences.
Much of her poetry is autobiographical, as it’s a way make sense of life’s many confusions. She pulls inspiration from conversations with her therapist, and experiences with loved ones. She’s also written more fantastical or fictional poems, however there is always an undercurrent of truth to them.
Author Of 'An Excruciating Undoing: Autism and the Art of Friendship'
For much of my life I was riddled with shame about my struggles within the realm of friendship. This wonderful human experience often felt excruciatingly painful for me and impacted me greatly. For much of my childhood I would go to bed at night hoping not to wake, because the messages I received from my peers were that I didn’t belong and I didn’t matter. I was a lonely little girl, a lonely young adult, and an incredibly lonely young woman.
My hope is that this book will help to make at least one person who has struggled in similar ways feel less alone and allow them to lessen their shame about their struggles. If I can do that, I will have succeeded.