She’s an author, a retired teacher, and yes, a poet who got her start in Ventura County. Mary Ann McFadden is going to be inaugurated as the County’s fourth Poet Laureate this weekend.
"I never imagined it," said McFadden. "It came from a time in my life where everything was falling apart. I had two kids at the time, and I would drop them off at the nursery school, and then drive to a park, or something, and then park and write."
McFadden’s father died during World War II. She and her mother first lived on her grandparents citrus ranch in Simi Valley, and then when her mother remarried, thay moved to another ranch in Fillmore.
"We camped a lot," said McFadden. "My grandfather would always tell us stories around the campfire."
She became an English teacher, and lived on the East Coast. McFadden eventually took some of her poetry to a writer's conference, and because of the positive response, embraced it. She eventually moved back to Ventura County, and is once again living on a ranch in Fillmore.
McFadden became an award winning writer, and has two published books of poetry, Eye Of The Blackbird and Devil, Dear.
Where does poetry stand in this fast paced world? "I think there's a tremendous need for it," said the author. "For people who will take the time to sit and read it, there's a lot of poetry out there."
McFadden will be officially inaugurated in a ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Museum of Ventura County. It’s open to the public, and free.
