Pat Riviere-Seel’s poetry manuscript, The Serial Killer’s Daughter, was a finalist in the Main Street Rag Publishing Company’s 2008 chapbook contest and is scheduled for publication in early 2009. Her first collection of poems, No Turning Back Now, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2004 and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Current poetry appears or is forthcoming in Kakalak 2008: An Anthology of Carolina Poets, Solo Café and Tar River Poetry.
Pat is Associate Editor of Asheville Poetry Review and has taught poetry writing classes for UNC Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program and College for Seniors. She is the past president of the NC Poetry Society.
A former political reporter for The Fayetteville Observer, she holds an MFA from Queens University of Charlotte and a BA from NC State University. She lives in Asheville with her husband, Ed, and spoiled felines, Mary Lou and Jessie.
Pat is a runner who has completed three marathons, numerous shorter races. She prefers to run trails.
A potential student wrote: I am interested in your upcoming poetry class. Could you tell me a little bit more about you? Your philosophy of life? Your belief system, if you have one?
My Response: I am a poet, a woman who loves life, believes that all people were created equal, that we all deserve love and respect and that all poems are gifts. I believe that only I can write the poems that I need to write. I believe all poems can be better and that it's all a rough draft until we die. I believe we all have the right and responsibility to decide how we will live our lives, who and what we believe in and love.
I try to live my life with love, compassion, and understanding. I believe in peace, justice, freedom, the calming nature of a cat's purr, perfect sunsets, imperfect humans, the magic of winter's first snowfall and the truth of a child's smile. I believe in God, Allah, Yahweh, the Divine Creator and a Higher Power. I believe that poets can be silly and playful and that poetry can save lives. I believe a senseof humor is essential to a long andhappy life and that chocolate andfine red wine should be considered among the essential food groups.
"I write to discover what I might know only in the act of making the poem itself."
--Peter Gizzi