Bio

          My name is Maunalokelani Kirkwood. As an adult I have come to recognize my decisions in life should not be based off of my parents decisions. I did not understand that as a child or a teenager, I thought everything should be based off of their approval. When I lost my mother in 2016 my world changed immensely; more than ever I turned to writing poetry and short stories. Mostly because when I write it is a reflection of my emotions and what's truly inside of me. These things I cannot express with speaking or actions so I write scenarios or fantasies of how I wish I could react. There are many ideas inside of my head but I am constantly afraid of putting them on paper. Other than writing I enjoy taking photos of nature, playing the piano, and bowling when I have the time. Today I am a different person than I was years ago experiences have altered my perceptions and my educational journey at Laney has helped me to uncover parts of me I did not know existed. My journey has a person has been difficult. However I am excited to see where I go from here. My ultimate goal is to start teaching English in other countries. Especially in Japan it is one of my favorite countries I hope to live there within the next five or six years.

Writer's Intention

          My intentions are simple or at least I would like to believe that. As someone who has experienced a great deal of exhaustion within life I feel it is good to let those experiences be known. Humanity is what we have and in its entirety the emotions are complex. We as people have something to offer to others not only take away from others. So, my goal is to take my experiences along with the experiences of others and turn it into something worth reading. "The same affliction abides in your brother." A common thing I was told growing up, but it never really made sense to me. How can someone share an affliction? How can one situation be witnessed and experienced the same way? Well, I want to explore that as a writer. Learning how words and actions affect change in society as well as personal lives is something I feel strengthens the bonds of human nature. Right now my writing has majorly been about me, however I intend to broaden my perspective and work on pieces that involve other people. Not exactly sure where this path will lead me, but I truly want to spend time writing stories that will move people. Stories and pieces that will impact how a person reacts or think about a given situation. Something that will give people hope in the midst of having despair.