2011 Mary Elvira Stevens Travelling Fellowship

Posted: October 1, 2010/Under: News/By: Kate McCahill

Kate McCahill is thrilled to announce her receipt of this year’s Mary Elvira Stevens Travelling Fellowship. Granted annually by Wellesley College and the Stevens Fellowship committee, the grant will fund one year of purposeful travel through Central and South America. Her plan is to follow the route Paul Theroux set forth in the 1970’s, when he took trains from Boston to Patagonia and subsequently wrote and published The Old Patagonian Express (Houghton-Mifflin, Mariner Press).

About Kate

Hi! I'm a writer, a reader, an editor, and a teacher. When I was young, I travelled alone from Guatemala to Patagonia, making the trip mostly overland, by bus. I learned Spanish, taught English, and wrote my book, PATAGONIAN ROAD, which was published in 2017. After that, I started teaching at the college-level and took up the role of Editor-in-Chief for the SANTA FE LITERARY REVIEW, an annual journal of arts and letters published by the Santa Fe Community College. I'm at work on another book, due for release in 2027 - and I'm raising a family here in the sunny Southwest.

I stumbled and fell a whole bunch of times, but in the end, I'm here, surrounded by books and words, my days filled with writerly discussions, editorial decisions, and lots of scribbling. Here's what I've learned along the way: Don't listen to those who try to talk you out of your dreams. You're the master of your ship, so let those doubters doubt. Focus on figuring out how to get to where you want to go in life, and then just do one thing at a time to make that dream happen. The creative risks you take might scare other people, and living according to your values and goals takes real courage. But you have what it takes. You do! All is possible, as they tell you in India. Drop me a line if you want to chat more. Happy reading!