Peggy Perdue

Portraits

Portraits was born out of the desire to understand people better—their dreams, desires, struggles, successes. What started as a personal mission, however, became what I saw as a necessity in a polarizing world where no one listened to each other.

You see, I come from a somewhat diverse background: born in the Midwest, college in the South, a short stint in the Rockies, and now raising a family in the Northwest. I’ve met a lot of different people, and through writing, journalism, and just natural curiosity, I have had the chance to talk to a lot of them.

Back in 2015, I started to notice something. And I’m sure many of you did, too.

People were angry. But no one was asking why. Or, more importantly, no one was listening.

I’d watch news about people in Indiana or Illinois, where I grew up. But these weren’t the people I grew up with. Or about people in Tennessee, where I didn’t quite fit in. But these people didn’t fit my memory of them. Or about people in the Northwest, where I live now. But these people weren’t the people I lived next to.

The nonstop news cycle had turned everyone into a stereotype or caricature of themselves.

There was no nuance. No depth. No balance.

And despite cries for better news, politics, everything, things have only gotten worse.

I have felt abnormal these past several years because of my calm and lack of anxiety about what was happening around me. I thought I was doing something wrong. But then I realized, I was doing it right.

No doomscrolling. No incessant news feeds. No social media.

When I saw a headline, I knew what it was about, and whether it was clickbait. Maybe that was my journalism training. But I also knew that I had already had conversations with people about these very topics, and that my understanding of the issue was more developed than the news story.

Why?

Because I listen.

Most people won’t understand what I’m trying to do with Portraits, because it doesn’t mesh with the “breaking news” cycle. Even other journalists are still so caught up in “journalism” that it’s hard for them to see the world any other way.

No, mine is a long game.

Slow journalism on steroids. Solutions journalism 2.0. Hyperlocal to the nth degree. Complicating the narrative without the complicated narrative. A true Citizen’s Agenda by 2028, if not before and I hope long after.

So, who am I to write these?

Well, no one, really. But I’ve been looking around for a long time, and I can honestly say, no one else is doing this. Some are sort of trying. But no one else comes close to the depth, nuance, and analysis these Portraits provide. Everyone else is still coming at it with an agenda.

I have a degree in English-Journalism, but also, I’m a poet. My worldview is different by nature. I’m also able to see many sides of one story. I like to think before I say anything. And I have a knack for dialing in on the heart of a matter. I can sometimes see a solution before a problem has even completely formed.

Editors have praised my “pluck” and “unflappability.” I once worked with an editor who had been in a newsroom with Hunter S. Thompson, and he said my writing was unlike anyone he’s ever seen before.

My secret weapons are observation, listening, problem-solving, creativity, and calm under pressure.

And then there are the actual portraits. Drawing was a passion of mine, and art was something I thought about going into for a long time. In the end, writing was really what I wanted to do. But the portraits keep me centered, focused.

If I get too caught up in what I’m writing, or hit a block, I draw. It slows me down, makes me look at things in a new way, shows me a detail I might have missed.

I used to play the piano, too, but I haven’t figured out how to factor that part in.

Official Bio

Peggy Perdue lives in her own world, where she spends as much time possible thinking, imagines everything is waaaayyyy easier than we’re making it, and doesn’t care if people think her ideas are naïve.

She has a degree in English-Journalism and has worked for Chattanooga Times Free Press, Portland Monthly, Willamette Week, and more.

In 2017/18, she was an Atheneum fellow in poetry at the Attic Institute of Arts and Letters in Portland, Oregon. Her poem “How to Do Anything Better” was selected for Abandoned Mine‘s inaugural online journal issue and published in its print anthology.

She has performed readings at bookstores alongside poet laureates, as well as at cafes with aspiring writers.

Born and raised in the Midwest, she attended high school and college in the South, and now lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.

She writes an occasional email newsletter, Random Poetry Love Notes—short missives with inspiration and insights about the connections and purpose of everyday life.

Comfort is her debut poetry chapbook.

She is currently working on her new project, Portraits. Learn more about this project and how you can support this work.

Press Kit

For author photos and book cover, please visit Peggy’s Press page. For media and event booking, please visit the Contact page.