In 1937, Kirsty Karkow was born in England and grew up between the islands of the British West Indies and a ranch in Arizona with a couple of years at boarding school in England. Originally educated as an medical entomologist, she included other interests: rallying an old Austin Healey, professional sculptor of animals in clay, teaching tai chi, flying and, mainly, a successful career with dressage horses. All this over many years, of course! She has had many passions and interests, but it wasn’t until she and her husband, Ed, had retired to Maine and were sailing the rocky coast that haiku found her.This may have been influenced by spiritual interests and the reflective, simple life in a Danish cottage where a river meets the sea. The internet was instrumental in leading her to experienced haiku poets who were kind and generous with their knowledge. She found haiku to be the perfect way to live in the moment, a quiet practice which led to poems that won the R.H. Blyth Award, Mainichi Haiku Contest and steady recognition in international journals ever since. Kirsty has also filled many roles, including Vice President, at the Tanka Society of America and is presently tanka editor for Simply Haiku. She finds all this all quite amazing and proof that any one of us can accomplish surprising goals if we wish.