About Katherine Williams

Katherine Williams, a native Southerner, was born into the Navy and spent her teens and twenties in Charleston SC, where she hung on to literature for dear life. She majored in French at the College of Charleston, learned to surf, screen T-shirts and movies, and do science. In 1996 she moved Los Angeles, where she worked in biomedical research at UCLA, surfed occasionally, and began writing poems.

She is now back on James Island SC with her husband, poet Richard Garcia, and their cattle-dog, Max. A community arts advocate, she has served on the board of The Poetry Society of SC since 2005, where she established their Warrior Poets Series; was founding chairman of James Island Arts Council; and is the program director for Poetry at McLeod.

Retired now from medical research, she dabbles in environmental science, surfing, website and textile design, art collecting, classical cello, and the garden.

Selected Readings

2016
Role of "The Original Swallow" in The Red Bowl by Holaday Mason, Beyond Baroque, Venice CA

2013
Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Charleston SC

2012
Piccolo Spoleto Sundown Poetry Festival, Charleston SC; Loyola Marymount University, Westchester CA

2010
City Gallery at Waterfront Park, Contemporary Charleston

2009
Monday Night Poetry & Music, Charleston SC; Coastal Carolina University, Litchfield, SC; Chapin Art Museum, Myrtle Beach SC; Beyond Baroque, Venice CA (with Frank Gaspar)

2008
Charleston County Library, Charleston SC

2007
Sotto Voce Poetry Festival, Shepherdstown WV

2006
Charleston County Library, Charleston SC

2005
Monday Night Blues, Charleston SC; Callanwolde Arts Center, Atlanta GA; Rhapsodomancy at the Good Luck Bar, Hollywood CA

2004
The Ugly Mug, Orange, CA; Monday Night Blues, Charleston SC; Java Monkey Cafe, Atlanta GA; Village Books, Pacific Palisades CA

2003
Redondo Poets, Redondo Beach CA; Mount San Antonio College, Walnut CA

2002
The Ugly Mug, Orange CA; Sunland-Tujunga Library, Tujunga CA

2001
Valley Contemnporary Poets, Canoga Park CA; Sunland-Tujunga Library, Tujunga CA; Curators’ Choice Gala Reading, Los Angeles Poetry Festival
(with BH Fairchild and Richard Garcia)

2000
Valley Contemporary Poets, North Hollywood Library, CA; Beyond Baroque, Venice CA; KXLU FM 88.9, Loyola Marymount University, Westchester CA

1999
Al’s Bar, Los Angeles CA; Action Space, Los Angeles CA

1998
Galeria Otra Vez, East Los Angeles CA; Laguna Poets, Laguna Beach CA

1996
KXLU FM 88.9, Loyola University, Westchester CA

1995
Midnight Special Books, Santa Monica CA

1994
KXLU FM 88.9, Loyola University, Westchester CA

1993
Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center, Venice CA