Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt, M.Ed., will read from her latest book—described as “a statement of the times”—and facilitate a workshop for writers and aspiring writers.

Louisa County, Va: Write In Louisa, a group for writers and aspiring writers ages 18 and over, has announced that author and poet Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt, M.Ed., will read from her most recent book, The World Has Changed from When I Last was Here, February 5, 2025 at Louisa Arts Center, Louisa, Virginia. Gotthard will also lead attendees in a discussion on poetry’s relevance and how to use poetic devices to strengthen writing of all genres. 

This is Gotthardt’s 13th book, a collection of award-winning and new poems centered around adversity, the strength and resilience needed to overcome it, and a movement toward peace.

Described as a statement of the times exploring late-stage capitalism’s impact on individuals—especially those who have been marginalized—the pieces touch on socioeconomic instability, homelessness, injustice, and other underlying factors contributing to a global deterioration in mental health. But it is also a statement of what is needed to create a better world, according to Gotthardt.

The book “takes readers on difficult journeys, processes the ugly, and spits it out as hope,” Gotthardt, an advocate for mental health, says. “The poems are a reflection of the world we live in, but also a glimpse of what is possible when we connect with others and with nature. We are not alone in our struggles, there is help out there, there is beauty, and we can heal.”

Amanda V. Judd, award-winning poet and author says of the book, “Gotthardt opens this collection with a bang and never lets up, peeling back our layers on page one, not to reveal our vulnerabilities, but to let us know we are not alone. These poems are deep, sensitive and thoughtful, offering us a sense of hope. But they also have an edge.”

Editor of HADNL magazine and poetCaiti Quatmann says, “We are invited to become what the speaker becomes, unraveling and reconciling pain, turmoil, doubt, and change amid vivid natural imagery. Nature becomes the medium in Gotthardt’s work—a collection that brings to life the deeply human experiences nestled within the world around us.”

“I make sense of the world through poetry,” says Gotthardt of her writing process. “These poems are personal in that they were written during a highly charged period of my life. But poetry being poetry, the verses blew up well beyond the literal. They took on lives of their own, ultimately illustrating universal themes through what I hope are accessible pieces.”

Poet and narrative Jay McClendoncalls the book “a hero’s journey …. Gotthardt’s best work to date,” and award-winning author, publisher, and speaker Liletta Harlem says, “What is most striking is how Gotthardt leads us through the stages of grief, arriving finally at a place of acceptance and, ultimately, peace. It is a moving and thought-provoking experience that resonates long after the last page is turned.”

The event will take place at from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Louisa Arts Center’s Purcell Gallery, 212 Fredericksburg Avenue Louisa, Virginia. The public is welcome. For more information and to register, visit louisaarts.org/write-in-louisa.

The World Has Changed from When I Last Was Here is available through Barnes & Noble and other retailers.