About the Author: Kimberly Palmer '01
Kimberly Palmer
Current Home:
Bethesda, MD
Place of Birth:
Washington, DC
Education:
Masters in Public Policy - University of Chicago, 2004
Bachelor of Arts - Amherst College, 2001
Why did you choose to come to Amherst?
I wanted to study neuroscience and Amherst had such a great department. When I arrived, I quickly realized I wanted to be studying history, instead, and luckily Amherst also has an amazing history department!
Most memorable or most influential professor:
Professor Hugh Hawkins as well as Professor Frank Couvares, my thesis advisor.
Most memorable or most influential class :
20th Century American History with Professor Hugh Hawkins. That class changed my life and my whole focus... I loved the readings and subject so much, I still reread some of those books from that class sometimes.
Awards and Prizes:
- Gold Folio Award, 2007, for a story on the downfall of a federal procurement official
- Time Inc. Henry Luce Scholar in Tokyo, Japan, 2001 – 2002
- Harris Scholar at the University of Chicago’s Irving Harris School
- Samuel Bowles Prize, Amherst College, 2000 - 2001 for journalism
Favorite Book:
The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf
Favorite Author:
Emerson
Tips for aspiring writers?
Just start writing... the best way to get better is to practice. Write for blogs, newspapers, writing classes, Twitter... anywhere and everywhere you can.
Tell us a bit about your path to becoming an author:.
I have worked for newspapers or magazines since graduating from college, first in Tokyo and then back in the U.S. in New York and Washington, D.C. I've also been writing book proposals since college... many rejections later, I found an agent who I love, and she helped me create the proposal for my first book. Then, with a few rejections in between, I created the proposal for The Economy of You. There is so much rejection and disappointment as an author, amid brief bursts of success, so you really have to persevere through all the ups and downs -- it helps if you really love it!