Cheryl Ann Farrell
Cheryl Ann lives on Kauai and has been a resident there for over 20 years. She is retired from teaching at University of Hawaii, Hawaii Pacific University, and several online colleges. Besides teaching, she has been an entrepreneur in several fields. Cheryl Ann has a BA in English and an MBA in both Marketing and Finance and spent nearly 30 years writing newsletters and creating marketing campaigns for credit unions but has retired from that field as well.
She is an accomplished photographer and has been successful in publishing essays, short stories, and poetry. She continues to work on both non-fiction and fiction writing. Additionally, she is a long-standing member of the Live Poets Society on Kauai.
In the beginning:
Writing has always been a source of expression for Cheryl – from the earliest of years to now. She grew up in Colorado and at one point participated with a live poetry group who would perform anywhere who would have them. A fun poem she used to read regularly was:
I Feel Like Flirtin’
I feel like flirtin’ n skirtin’
And singin’ a tune
An’ lookin’ fo’ trouble
like an ol’ racoon.
Got a good ol’ man
Sittin’ at home
Who can rock my back
Like it aint got a bone
Never trouble trouble
Till trouble troubles you,
That’s good for some
But fo’ me it won’t do
I feel like flirtin’ n skirtin’
And singin’ a tune
An’ lookin’ fo’ trouble
Like an ol’ racoon.
My ol’ man
Is good through n through
It aint fair the things I do
Can’t live without ‘im cuz I love ‘im so
But I gotta need so you gotta know
I feel like flirtin’ n skirtin’
And singin’ a tune
An’ lookin’ fo’ trouble
like ol’ racoon.
Armed with both a bachelor’s degree in English and an MBA, she set her sights on Los Angeles where she was the VP of Marketing for a handful of financial institutions over the many years there.
During that time, creativity was one that needed to be “on-demand” in the advertising side of marketing. Writing newsletters, catchy slogans, annual reports, all of which took up a great deal of time. This was all prior to the archival process today of … the World Wide Web. She produced a “white paper” on the economics and pricing structure of credit cards and traveled that year making presentations (with a slide projector) to other senior officials in the industry. But then there was the more fun side at that time.
The Darker (and fun) days:
One Los Angeles summer, Cheryl had a group of friends who were either screen writers (such as a recipient of the Nicholls Screenwriting Fellowship), novelists, or creative directors. Writing became a source of entertainment. They would “don” a different personality and write poems or short essays and the group would have to use detective work to solve who the actual writer was. It was this “alter ego” that opened a way to approach dark subjects with a degree of anonymity. One such example about the darker side of a child’s life is "Escape" which you can see below. It was a winning entry in the second issue of Latitudes, the Guild's Online Literary Review.
Escape
The ol’ man snored
Through his daily nap
’After filling his gut with little regard
The steam iron hissed at me
And I imagined a salon facial
The starch scorched; the ironing board creaked
The smell of fear rose & fell in tandem
With his heaving chest,
I wish my mother would take care of him.
He’s the only man I know
I wonder if they all smell that way
The grocer, the butcher, the candlestick maker
The all seem to ooze
Whether it’s too much smile or just too much sweat.
The iron hisses again and spits scalding water
Across my hand
For a moment he looks vulnerable
For a moment I see a way out
— 8/22/94
The dark phase produced a lot of work, but receded, and a more prominent direction in teaching college and providing marketing campaigns took over for quite some time. Cheryl also studied photography and became certified as a commercial photographer. Teaching college led to online instruction --- way back in 1999 when the online learning was quite new. She became a trainer for other faculty and a course designer which also allowed a move to Hawaii without losing any work.
It is only recently, as Cheryl approaches retirement, the desire to return to writing has once again become a priority. She is a member of both Hawaii Writer’s Guild & Lihue Poet Society on Kauai. She is also still an online college instructor, writing tutor for Colorado State University, and the Distance Learning Coordinator for McKinley School for Adults – Kauai Campus. She is not yet retired.
Current Work:
• Cheryl was selected in the Hawaii Writer’s Guild Latitudes magazine for a flash short story: His-n-Hers. Read it by clicking here.
• Then again in early 2022, Cheryl was able to have two of her poems published in Hawaii Writers Guild's 3rd edition of its literary journal, Latitudes. You can see them here or go directly to https://www.hawaiiwritersguild.com/missin-you.html.
• Also, Cheryl recently published an experiential essay after visiting her first fully legal marijuana dispensary on a trip back to California. She enjoys writing with a humorous slant in these types of stories. Read it by clicking here.
• In early November, 2023, Cheryl's latest story, Escape from Christmas Island, was picked up and published in the magazine "WitCraft."
• Acrobatics - read here. Acrobatics was also selected in the last latitudes publication.
• Two poems in the last latitude Ash and Anguish/ Falling in Love.
Published Books
Kaua'i in Haiku: An Anthology
The essence of an island — in one or two breath poems — Kaua'i in Haiku presents a story of the garden isle's volcanic formation, its natural tropical beauty, and its unique way of life. Several voices with intimate knowledge of Kaua'i express imaginings, reflections, humorous anecdotes, and daily happenings that visitors and inhabitants will recognize and possibly relate to while they read Kaua'i in Haiku.
Bamboo Ridge Issue 126
Celebrated playwright, author, and guest editor Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl brings together a compilation of work by 37 writers that captures the complexity of life in Hawaiʻi with humor, resilience, and rich cultural narratives.
