kkroger
| Forum role | Member since | Last activity | Topics created | Replies created |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Aug 7, 2012 (13 years) |
- | 3 | 1 |
- Forum role
- Member
- Member since
Aug 7, 2012 (13 years)
- Last activity
- -
- Topics created
- 3
- Replies created
- 1
Bio
Hi there. Here are some things about me. My childhood was spent in beautiful Kalispell, Montana, and for middle school and high school I lived in Southern California. After college at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, I spent four years in the late 60s in West Berlin, where I first joined the anti-Vietnam War movement with a group of Americans there and became involved in left-wing politics. After moving back to the U.S. in the early 70s, I lived briefly on the Lower East Side in Manhattan, N.Y. and then worked in factories in New Jersey and Denver, Colorado. In New Jersey I met my son's father, a Dominican immigrant, and had a son, who is now a public defender in California. In 1980 I got my masters degree in education and was recruited to teach English as a Second Language in Los Angeles. There I taught in a high school for about 18 years, and still live in that area. During these years I continued to be involved in progressive politics such as anti-war movements, UTLA (United Teachers Los Angeles), and the struggle against climate change.
After I retired, I published a novel, "Dancing with Mao and Miguel," which takes place in the 70s and deals with political, social, and personal issues of that decade. I'm still involved in trying to make the world a better place, tackling issues such as climate change and social justice. I'm a member Third Act, an anti-climate change and pro-democracy movement for those in the "third act" of their lives--i.e., over 60 (although any age group is welcome to participate). I also demonstrate in the anti-genocide movement to free Palestine. Over the years since retirement, I've experimented with various hobbies from time to time, such as short-story writing, photography, including street photography (find my work on kittykroger.smugmug.com and Instagram), poetry writing, stand-up comedy, piano (started in childhood), watercolor painting and drawing. Three times a week I exercise, including yoga, and love to hike and travel. I publish two blogs: kittykroger.wordpress.com, which is a mishmash of political and personal topics, and sixtiesandseventiesblog.wordpress.com, which consists of personal stories of people I know and who were active during the 60s and 70s.