Retired Elementary School Principal Irene Blackburn

This week’s Writer Wednesday features Writing Room member Irene Blackburn!

Based in Flat Rock, Michigan, Irene is a retired elementary school principal. She is currently writing a book, “In Retrospect.” The book is about honoring her mother and father as heroes. Both her parents were in Poland during Hitler’s Nazi invasion, and both families hid Jewish boys in their homes.

When she’s not writing, you’ll likely find her playing pickleball, cooking vegetarian cuisines and kayaking. Read more about her below!

What writing projects are you currently working on?

 My only writing project now is writing my book, “In Retrospect.” This will be my first writing project, outside of a marketing business I had, in which I wrote a bi-weekly e-newsletter, promoting my clients. This will be my piece of art, for me. As an educator, I was focused on supporting other people’s writing. Now it’s my turn. 

What are some of your writing achievements? 

My main writing achievement was a proposal to start a Science and Technology Theme School around the year 2000, when computers were still new in schools. I was the school principal then of a high poverty bilingual community. My intention was to move our students from being a lagging edge to the leading edge! We were accepted, and became one of the top 8 schools in the state of Michigan for technology integration. Other writing achievements were writing grants in the schools I worked in.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

I like to reread my writing, and edit and expound on it.  I use Thinking Maps to further extend my thinking and writing.

What does your writing workspace look like?

I usually am sitting on my couch, with my laptop and papers and books surrounding me, in an organized chaos! LOL

What inspired you to share your parents' story in “In Retrospect,” and what do you hope readers take away from their acts of courage during such a harrowing time in history?

I have wanted to write a book for years, and now with my age (73), I feel that sense of urgency to do it while my brain and body still function well. The title itself implies a mature audience, looking back on life, to understand it, and the influences of my life. It helps me “flip the switch” about thinking about my family struggles and negative occurrences, and to see the positive in it.

What is your favorite non-writing hobby?

I play pickleball about five days a week, and during the warm season I golf and kayak. I like to cook healthy vegetarian recipes, having been a vegetarian (actually a pescatarian) for over 50 years. What my retirement goal for over 20 years was, and which I practice now, is in the mornings to sit and read until I can’t stand sitting there anymore. 

What is your favorite piece of writing advice?

Write your thoughts, use Thinking Maps to extend your writing and thinking, and get feedback from others. 

Follow Irene on Instagram at @ireneblackburn.