An Interview With Mark Kennedy

Far, far away, the moon shines down on a hedgehog. It searches through dry, yellowed leaves left by the aspen towering over its breath. The hedgehog is tired and wary but rummages still. What else is a hedgehog to do? But if it were to turn around, beneath the red currant bush, it would find the answer, if it were to only take the chance and look.

A month and a bit has passed since the collective release of the Serein Lark's first four writers. It was a delight-filled celebration of the end of summer, now gone to sleep, and the quiet ponder of an early autumn simmers in the mist. Today, in a new age, the Lark returns with a new contributing writer, and the first of his kind:

With a significantly longer timeline on this earth as a 72-year-old and as the Serein Lark Review's first creative non-fiction writer, Mark Kennedy stands out in several ways from the rest of our contributing writers. His creative piece 'From Millstone to Milestone' is short yet tangible, and might be exactly the words you already needed.

Can you introduce yourself? Who are you, Mark?

I am a retired, award-winning 30-year teacher of adjudicated teens in San Bernardino County, California, U.S. Just before retirement, my wife of 40 years asked for a divorce, which set me on a path of self-examination. During that quest, I discovered many things about myself that I’d not known but others had; chiefly, I was diagnosed with autism and ADHD! I thought those were only for young boys, so I was surprised! But as Wenn Lawson has said, “Accurate diagnosis in Adulthood replaces shame with clarity. What society labeled lazy or careless was actually the immense, invisible manual labor of a neurodivergent brain manually operating in a world built for neurotypicals.” I am thankful for this new life the universe has given me in my 70s!

You are the Serein Lark's first-ever creative non-fiction writer! Is that your usual genre? What sort of writing do you most enjoy?

I am honored and humbled to have my creative non-fiction work validated in Serein Lark. It validates my work over the past several years of taking up this new genre. I enjoy CNF most these days because I feel my story has so much to share with others who may be or may have been in similar circumstances—neurodivergent but without knowing it, fighting a hidden lifetime foe they didn’t even know had a name. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated there are 1.5 million undiagnosed autistic people over 50. That’s a hard way to live your golden years.

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing since I was 10, but for serious publication, I began with two books on teaching in the early 2000s, followed by a smattering of non-fiction articles. I love writing, in part because it is my favorite form of communication. Speaking is difficult because I have an Auditory Processing Delay (APD) and also because, being autistic, I work hard to find the exact words that will say what I intend to say. That can be torturous for the person I’m speaking to, who sometimes just wants me to “get to the point”.

What would you like to tell the reader about 'From Millstone to Milestone'? Why should they read it?

'From Millstone to Milestone' is the story of how pain, by extending grace, can be transmuted into progress and healing. If a reader has no lingering pain in their lives, it may not speak to them. But I had a lot of trauma from my early years, and it is my story of the first clue that was so, and how I learned to deal with it late in life—at 72!

Talk us through what inspired your piece and how you wrote it. It is a short piece - was it still particularly difficult to get down, or did the words flow like a river?

At first, the words flowed like mud (lol). It was a couple of years in the making, and writing the scene first was a catalyst for understanding the significance of something so painful that I had buried it in the unconscious area of my mind. Then, getting the scene down, I was able to begin to relate what it meant and how having undiagnosed autism and ADHD was not just my condition, but my parents’, too. So, it was two years of healing and Eureka! moments, a very rewarding experience.

Here is a quote from Mark's piece, 'From Millstone to Milestone':

“Your teeth rotted out and since you wouldn't wear the plate, your permanent teeth came in crooked.” That was the longest sentence she’d ever said to me, and I couldn’t find any reply.

Do you have any habits for when you write, such as always having a cup of tea by your side or a special place you must write for the sake of the creative juices (or something more peculiar, such as Victor Hugo's alleged need to write in the nude)?

I've never tried writing in the nude. Maybe I'll try it next time I feel stuck. But my only habits are: I honor my circadian rhythm by writing late in the day, sometimes the evening, and I always write in the same place, at my computer and my desk. That’s where the serious work happens. I do often get new ideas when driving (something about mobility gets the juices going), so I keep a small notepad in the car to be transcribed when I arrive home.

What do you enjoy reading? What are you reading right now?

I hope no one is disappointed by this, but I mostly read commercial fiction in my downtime, but really good commercial fiction like Greg Hurwitz’ Orphan X novels. Hurwitz can turn a phrase. I also practice copywriting with classic works, such as Macbeth, which I'm working through now. It really makes the work pop. While that’s work, it’s also fun.

Do you have any other publications you'd like to point our readers to? Or is there someplace readers can follow you for updates on future work?

I am about halfway through writing a memoir: Stone Face: How a Careless Remark Led to an AuDHD Diagnosis at Age 72 — and Gave Me New Life. I would love feedback on the title and anything else someone might want to share.

I would love to come back and share how Stone Face is doing once it’s published! If readers find 'From Millstone to Milestone' enjoyable or helpful, or if it describes someone they know, the book will do the same on an exponential level.

The best way to stay abreast is through my website or through my LinkedIn account. While I have education articles posted on my website, I’m really just getting going in creative non-fiction publishing.

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to share my work and share in yours!

No, thank you, Mark! Your work is such a deeply personal string of words, and it is an honour and a privilege to be its home. I wish you the best of luck with your memoir. The readers and I look forward to hearing more.

'From Millstone to Milestone' is to launch on the Archive on Monday 21st!