Harrison, Kathy A. 1952–

PERSONAL: Born July 29, 1952, in Pittsfield, MA; daughter of a police officer and a schoolteacher; married Bruce Harrison, 1973; children: Bruce, Jr., Nathan, Ben; adopted children: Neddy, Angie, Karen. Ethnicity: "Caucasian."

ADDRESSES: Agent—Curtis Brown Ltd., 10 Astor Pl., New York, NY 10003.

CAREER: Writer and professional foster parent. Formerly worked as preschool teacher.

WRITINGS:

Another Place at the Table: A Story of Shattered Childhoods Redeemed by Love (memoir), Jerome P. Tarcher (New York, NY), 2003.

SIDELIGHTS: Kathy A. Harrison told CA: "Writing helps me process my children's histories. It also defines me and what I do. As a writer, I have been most influenced by Marion Wright Edelman and Tory Hayden. I wish I had a writing process. I keep notes on bits of paper, tucked here and there. When deadlines loom, I put in four to five hours a day to finish. I rewrite five to six times. My first book will always be my baby, but my favorite is always the book I want to write next.

"The most surprising thing I've learned as a writer is that people feel free to contact me and tell me incredibly personal and painful things."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Harrison, Kathy A., Another Place at the Table: A Story of Shattered Childhoods Redeemed by Love, Jeremy P. Tarcher (New York, NY), 2003.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, April 15, 2003, Vanessa Bush, review of Another Place at the Table, p. 1431.

Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2003, review of Another Place at the Table, p. 38.

People, June 9, 2003, Thomas Fields-Meyer, "100 Kids and Counting: When It Comes to Helping Children, Foster Mom Kathy Harrison Can't Say No," p. 131.

Redbook, May, 2003, "The Bravest Mom We've Ever Met: If They Gave Medals to Parents for Hard Work (and They Should!), Kathy Harrison Would Take the Gold Every Time," p. 158.

Publishers Weekly, January 27, 2003, review of Another Place at the Table, p. 244.

Women's Review of Books, April, 2003, Edith Milton, review of Another Place at the Table, p. 13.