Meet Laurie Pokin | Writer, Director & Video Editor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laurie Pokin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laurie, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
When I sit down to write, in fact, when I’m thinking about sitting down to write, there is a thought (almost every time) that “no one will ever read your writing and if they do, they’ll either dislike it, or worse, not care anything about it! You’re wasting your time, this is pointless!”

Those things are risks I must take because I must write. Recognizing that something is a risk is the amygdala trying to keep you safe, alive, and comfortable, but if we listen to that little warning every time, we’ll stay alive, but won’t . . . live. We won’t push ourselves, we won’t keep going, and we’ll give up.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m legally blind. I struggled in school and fell behind in classes at a young age because I could not read the board or my textbooks. I have a degenerative eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa as well as a neurological disorder called nystagmus, which causes my eyes to almost constantly shake.

The combination of the two conditions makes my view of the world narrow (no peripheral vision), dark (almost totally blind at night and in low-light settings), and shaking (that’s the nystagmus). This has affected almost every aspect of my life, from social situations, not being able to drive, to struggling in film school to read the projector in my editing class. But it’s also given me a unique way of interpreting and making sense of my surroundings and the people around me. Folks often comment (mostly in a positive way) of the descriptiveness of my writing so that they feel like they’re in the story with the characters.

I have published one novel and three short stories and am currently writing two more novels and the third part of a short-story series.
I’ve held book signings at Tattered Cover, BookBar in Denver, Hearthfire Books and Treats, and the Aspen Grove Farmer’s market. I also do volunteer work, writing suicide awareness scripts to be filmed and shown to first responders. In addition, I have worked for the federal government for 14 years.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love hiking, rock climbing and camping in Colorado. Walking along Clear Creek in Golden is beautiful. Hiking Mount Falcon or four-wheeling in Evergreen (where it’s always ten degrees cooler than Denver) or visiting Brewability on Broadway in Englewood are nice spots. I ride bikes with a tandem group called Eyecycle and I practice Judo at Denver Judo. I’ve hiked Castlewood Canyon in Castle Rock a number of times and highly recommend it, plus it’s friendly for dogs and people when it’s hot because of the cool, clear stream. Rock climbing with Adaptive Adventures back near Clear Creek or indoors in Englewood at Movement Englewood are fun. Angelo’s Taverna in Littleton has great food and the Platte River Trail which winds for miles and miles is nice to walk, run or bike.
One of my favorite spots is my balcony, after a long day, where my green plants are growing, my sweet dog is sitting, and I can see the long stretch of mountains in the distance and the sun setting behind it.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
It is the strangers at my book signings, neighbors and a small number of friends who have cheered me on, lifted me up when I’m down and rooted for me, asking, “When’s your next book coming out?” and “Why aren’t you writing?”

And it is my dog, who is constantly by my side, everywhere I go, for writing can be a lonesome place – until you know your characters and can delve into their lives, watching as one would watch a movie, and immerse yourself in another time and place.

And I thank all the people who have doubted me, did not give me a chance and looked down on me because they made that little voice in my head stronger, that voice warning me of risk… of failure, and I grew stronger every time I ignored that voice, sat at my computer, wrote a book, and published it and ultimately sold copies at book signings.

Website: https://a.co/d/03DaJBJu

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauriepokin/

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/authorLaurie

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LaurieAnnPokin/videos

Other: Audible: https://www.audible.com/author/Laurie-Ann-Pokin/B007FRQLSG?eac_link=qZWIGWK2va07&ref=web_search_eac_ath_1&eac_selected_type=author&eac_selected=B007FRQLSG&qid=D2dz7SXUqM&eac_id=130-1754983-6314836_D2dz7SXUqM&sr=1-1

Image Credits
I own all the rights to all photos