About Me — Kate Rader

On finding my groove again through writing, art, and rock ’n’ roll.

Me, in my college dorm room during the Grunge Era. Photo taken by a friend.

Yep, that’s me above, in flannel. I’m a solidly GenX, not afraid to get dirty, rock-and-roll kind of girl. All my life I’ve been driven by three things: art, music, and the written word.

Much to my mother’s dismay, I was not a girly-girl. You could dress me up and take me places, but behavior? No guarantees.

As a flower girl, inappropriately straddling a floodlight outside the wedding venue in a dress. Photo by the Author’s dad.

I’ve always been a little bit of a rule breaker. Not enough to get into any serious trouble, but just enough to cause a hassle. You could say that I march to the beat of my own drum. A nonconformist.

Some kids collected pennies, I collected intellectual capital, eager for first-hand knowledge of almost any subject—but my obsessions lean toward the creative.

At age 2, painting in the kitchen. I can still smell those tempura paints. Photo: collection of the Author.

Character Development

I’ve been hooked on books since first touching the soft fur of Pat The Bunny, and learned to read full sentences by two-and-a-half. Mom would…