Name: Kathleen (Kate) Simonelli
Home: Zurich, Switzerland

About: Kathleen Simonelli, American writer, singer-songwriter and artist, joined Amazwi for the month of October to workshop with Amazwi writers on deepening their knowledge of theme by looking at how one can express the deeper meaning through a variety of mediums, including: prose, art and poetry.

After workshopping theme, the women compiled their own essays on themes relating to daily life in rural South Africa, which were then transformed into multimedia presentations in imovie. Continue to check the Amazwi news site to read these articles and see their imovies.

* * *

Your most marked characteristic?
Idealistic. Creative.

The quality you most like in a man?
Honesty. Determination. Moral sense.

The quality you most like in a woman?
Honesty. Determination. Tenderness.

What do you most value in your friends?
Their openness. Their time. Their presence and willingness to share. Their love.

What is your principle defect?
I can be scattered.

What is your favorite occupation?
Daydreaming – coming up with new ideas and figuring out how to realize them.

What is your dream of happiness?
Being authentic.

What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?
To live a life not according to one’s true self, or as one wishes. To be apathetic.

What would you like to be?
Remembered.

In what country would you like to live?
Anywhere, as long as I feel at peace within myself.

What is your favorite color?
Violet.

What is your favorite flower?
Fragrant ones: Easter Lilly, Orange Blossom, Jasmine.

What is your favorite bird?
Dove.

Who are your favorite writers?
Helen Keller. Diane Ackerman. Rainer Rilke. Pablo Neruda. Sara Teasdale.

Who are your favorite composers?
Bach. Chopin. Ludovico Einaudi.

Who are your favorite painters?
Children.

What is it you most dislike?
Dishonesty.

What natural gift would you most like to possess?
Flawless verbal expression.

How would you like to die?
Having truly lived.

To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
Self-criticism. Oversleep.

What is your motto?
“Instead of seeing the rug being pulled from under us, we can learn to dance on a shifting carpet.” — Thomas Crum

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” — Helen Keller