Author Q&A: Kathryn P. Haydon

Kathryn P. Haydon ’99 is a silver-level NU Loyal member and the author of Unsalted Blue Sunrise: Poems of Lake Michigan. Haydon wrote the book—one of the 2025 NU Loyal Summer Reading List selections—from the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan after taking daily walks to the shore over the course of a year. Haydon is an award-winning poet and the current poet in residence at Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods, Illinois. Her haiku and poetry have been published internationally in literary journals such as The Heron’s Nest, Humana Obscura, Wales Haiku Journal, and Presence. She also hosts local poetry readings and workshops.

Haydon is also the founder of Sparkitivity, which helps businesses and individuals learn how to find creative solutions to problems. Haydon has written and spoken widely on creative thinking, learning, talent development, and the secret strengths of outlier thinkers. She is a regular contributor to publications like Psychology Today, and her work has been featured in the Washington Post.

What drew you to Northwestern for your undergraduate experience?

When I was a junior in high school, Northwestern held a student weekend. I went with some friends from my class and my entire experience that weekend made me feel energized and at home. I applied early decision to Northwestern with no back-up plan. Glad I got in!

In addition to being an author, you’re also a business owner, public speaker, and creativity expert. How did your time at Northwestern shape who you are today?

At Northwestern, I was able to explore many different topics and courses of study, which I believe adds to the variety I find in my work today. I took courses in the School of Speech [now the School of Communication], majored in Spanish and Latin American literature, and minored in economics. Northwestern allowed me to be entrepreneurial in my selection of courses and in the variety of experiences I was exposed to. I’ve always been a person that enjoys connections and intersections across subjects, and I certainly see that playing out in my career.

Congratulations on the publication of Unsalted Blue Sunrise! How did your time at Northwestern prepare you for the experience of writing this collection of poetry?

Early in my freshman year at Northwestern I found out that anyone could try out for the crew team—no experience necessary. So I tried out for and joined the women’s crew team. Running was a major aspect of our training. One weekend morning I was running along the lakefront south of campus. Three feet of snow covered the ground and Lake Michigan’s water was frozen in sculpted waves. That image stayed with me all these years and kindled my awe of the lake. When I moved back to Chicagoland after nearly two decades away, that experience became part of my inspiration to walk to the lakefront every day for a year to observe and write my impressions in poems. Forty-five of these poems are collected in Unsalted Blue Sunrise.

What would you like readers to know about Unsalted Blue Sunrise?

Northwestern alumni all share the experience of having lived right along the exquisite shore of our beautiful Lake Michigan. As students, many were probably much more attentive to the lake than I was. I had that experience with the frozen waves, but I didn’t deliberately observe the lake’s daily changes. It can look like the Arctic one day, and the next it will boast cerulean waters that conjure the Caribbean.

Reading Unsalted Blue Sunrise has been a refreshing way for people to reignite their appreciation for Lake Michigan, including for those who don’t typically read poetry. Many have been inspired to embark on their own “ripple effect” explorations to observe a particular aspect of nature from day to day.

What is something that surprised you—or might surprise other people—about the process of writing poetry?

I often say that to write good poetry you have to be willing to write bad poetry. It’s rare that the first draft of a poem comes out fully formed. Most of my drafts, written by the lake, were messy musings—perhaps just a string of words or isolated thoughts. I write with a pencil in a notebook first, then type it up as I edit. Then I print the poem, mark up the copy, and type it again. This can go on endlessly over a long span of time. I think it’s important for everybody who wants to try writing poetry to first write on actual paper with a pen or pencil. There is something important about that physical connection that helps to deepen your thoughts and focus.

What advice from your journey would you share with other aspiring authors?

There are many ways to be an author, and I have been involved with quite a number of them. When I first graduated from Northwestern, I worked in banking and did volunteer writing on the side to develop my craft and résumé. As I sought to write professionally, I first relied on the banking skills that I had gained and freelanced for a company that developed newsletters and white papers for banks.

In terms of book publishing, I have made use of the variety of ways to publish that are available: large publishers, small publishers, and self-publishing. Each project dictates the publishing method that best fulfills the project vision and goals.

What are your favorite things to do when you are not writing?

Reading, walking in the beautiful prairie restorations that have proliferated in Chicagoland, listening to concerts at Ravinia, and sharing meals and moments with family and friends.

What else are you currently working on?

I am the poet in residence at Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods in Riverwoods, Illinois. One of our signature projects involves working with local veterans to create their own music compositions, using Unsalted Blue Sunrise as inspiration. It has been incredible to lead these veterans on the visioning and writing aspects of their compositions and program notes, and to share their projects so people can discover the poetry and listen to their pieces, performed by artist in residence Black Moon Trio.

In addition, my seventh book, A Love Letter to Deep Souls, is currently being released serially via Substack—Charles Dickens meets the 21st century!

Explore other books on the NU Loyal 2025 Summer Reading List, featuring selected works by some of Northwestern’s esteemed alumni and friends.