Meet Katie Crouch

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Crouch.

Why don’t you give us some details about you and your story?
Throughout my life, I’ve been inching my way toward becoming a legit writer. I was reading at 3, wrote my autobiography at age 10, and filled notebooks chronicling the angst of my teenage years. I wrote a short story in high school and sent it off to all the most reputable magazines (it was not published). I worked on the high school literary journal and the newspaper.

At the University of Michigan, I majored in a heavily-overlapping mix of literary concentrations (Comp Lit, Creative Writing, and French) which included a study abroad year in France and the self-publication of a collection of poetry. After college, I burned off a couple of years in Paris refining my French, eating baguettes and Nutella, and working odd jobs like playing my violin on the métro. I filled even more notebooks and dreamed of all the possible ways to be a writer, or maybe an editor.

I’d always romanticized publishing and figured that the reality wouldn’t be as fun. But it was. When I started out in San Francisco, the subject matter was not always aligned with my areas of interest (mostly business and economics), but I loved having a hand in shaping the content. I’d found my home in the editorial department.

Eventually, I moved over to a subject area in higher education publishing much closer to my heart: World Languages. In my current role as Senior Portfolio Manager at McGraw-Hill Education (https://www.mheducation.com/highered/category.10010.html), I work with a super-talented editorial team to envision and create print and digital products for students of Spanish, French, German, and Italian.

On the personal side, as I approached forty, I was yearning to start a family and time was running out. Years of dating had not produced a life partner, so I eventually made the choice to have a baby on my own. As I began the process of trying to get pregnant with an anonymous donor, I took the opportunity to write about the highs and lows of the process at my blog, The Solo Mama Project (www.thesolomamaproject.com).

Today, I’m lucky to have a son (3) and a daughter (4 months). They give me endless topics to write about! These days, we’re living in Oak Park, IL and I’m the Chicago organizer for Single Mothers by Choice (www.singlemothersbychoice.org), a national nonprofit provides support and resources for women contemplating, pursuing, or living life as a solo parent.

Although life is full, I squeeze inside gig writing projects when I can. I wrote an essay about my relationship with the other Katie Crouch for Ozy (https://www.ozy.com/true-story/doppelgngers-unite/67104) and contributed to a radio piece on the same topic for Snap Judgment (http://snapjudgment.org/katie-v-katie). I enjoy editing book manuscripts, wordsmithing website content and recently took on a new type of project: developing a brand story for an apparel startup.

While on maternity leave, I’ve been working on my first book: a memoir about becoming a solo mom. I’m writing it in small increments of about twenty minutes a day and it’s almost done (subscribe to my blog for updates on the book). I hope that my story will serve as an example to women considering taking a similar path.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest struggle of my life was the path to motherhood. I always took for granted that I’d be a mom. In my twenties, I dated and had some long, committed relationships but for different reasons never tied the knot. In my thirties, more relationships, online dating, and increasing bewilderment that I wasn’t ending up married.

Almost no one plans on becoming a single parent at the outset so it took a while to get my head around the idea. But I knew I wanted a baby and, as time went on, I realized I wanted it even more than a romantic partnership. Ultimately, it was empowering to say, “You know what? This isn’t happening. I’m doing it on my own.”

The fertility process wasn’t easy, as is often true for women who wait until their late thirties to start trying. It took eighteen months, the latest reproductive technology, and more patience than I knew I had. In the end, I had my baby boy. (And, 3.5 four years later, my baby girl.) The struggle was grueling and completely worth it. I’m so grateful for my family of three.

Writing about the process for my blog was cathartic; I got to vent, draw support from my community, and create a network of followers. It re-energized my writing and inspired me to look ahead at future projects. I find that the more I take the risk of putting my story out there, the more I get positive feedback, support, and thanks from those who appreciate my perspective. So I’m rolling with it and looking forward to seeing where it leads.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thesolomamaproject.com, www.singlemothersbychoice.org
• Email: katie.crouch@gmail.com
• Twitter: katiecrouch

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