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Hi! I’m Kristi.

I love words (official author bio below), but sometimes a photo says it best. For example, these say:

Photo of Kristi J. Smith
I’m happy you’re here!
Photo of Kristi J. Smith
After crazy, I need cozy.
Photo of Kristi J. Smith with her son
I love learning, then lifting up ideas & people.

A few more things about me, told through photo captions:

Photo of Kristi J. Smith and her family

A photo taken during a rainy excursion with family reveals that

  • I love my people.
  • I am up for any travel adventure.
  • I don’t mind getting caught in the drizzle. A trash-bag-poncho won’t bother me. Soggy shoes won’t bother me. (High heels used to bother me, until I gave all mine away.)
  • In photos (& life), I say YES to individual expression & connection. YES to chaos & peace. I would also say YES to some caffeine (& a refill).
Photo of Kristi J. Smith after a roller coaster ride

An image of me drenched, after a roller-coaster ride shook up my soda, reveals that (literally & metaphorically)...

  • I am up for the ride
  • I sometimes forget to unpack things before the ride.
  • The things I eventually unpack may explode all over me.
  • I will try to clean it up, learn from the mistake, and enjoy the grace & good-natured laughter of those around me (including my four fun & forgiving kids, who could not resist snapping this photo).

And finally, this collage of Kristi reveals that…

  • I can pull myself together and put myself into the (written, spoken or activist) fray.
  • I believe every person deserves respect, rights, and a safe, soft space.
  • My favorite soft spaces have a good book, great kids and purring rescue cats.
Headshot of Kristi J. Smith
Photo of Kristi J. Smith at a Black Lives Matter protest
Photo of Kristi J. Smith speaking to a group of children
Photo of Kristi J. Smith reading a book with her son

I’m glad you’re here. Whether you came for the book, the fray, or to help the kids (coloring for a cause) save more animals, welcome.

Kristi

Photo of Kristi J. Smith

The Official Author Bio

KRISTI J. SMITH grew up listening to southern stories before taking her ears on the road (and then off-road). Her eclectic mix of teachers include a Nigerian rainmaker, homeless men, rebellious students, haunted veterans, cheeky children, lively street vendors, and the exterminator who changed her life. She is indebted to all of them. She has degrees from Princeton, Harvard, and UNC-Chapel Hill, has learned while teaching in underserved urban and rural (Teach For America) schools, and currently serves as the adult advisor to “Kids Coloring For a Cause,” a non-profit she cofounded with her family. She likes to write, wonder, and wander with her husband and four children. Their gateway to the world is a happy home in North Carolina.

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