Claire Hilbert, writing on Poignant Topics with an Upbeat Vibe
A Full Life
From writer to mother, linguist to amateur gardener, gourmet chef, chanteuse, tennis coach and more, Claire Hilbert not only lives a full life but is also a keen observer of it. It’s no surprise she has come to consider writing as her preferred occupation.
From Early On
As a lifelong lover of hearing and telling stories, Ms. Hilbert was destined to become a writer from a young age. By the age of eight, she was known for crafting a lengthy, memorable short story that captivated her elders. A natural wordsmith, she understood early on that her many interests would provide rich fodder for life as a writer.
Formative Years
Applying her love of words and language wherever possible, she built her experience in a variety of jobs and activities. In high school, she joined her school newspaper. After college, she fueled her travel bug by working at home and abroad for international airline companies and overseas as an English instructor. She has supplied op-ed articles, essays and reporting to newspapers and periodicals. Her first paid piece was for a Japanese magazine and depicted her experience working as an expat in Tokyo, where she resided for several years. Soon, modeling after her dexterous European counterparts, she mastered flipping between languages.
Influencial Aspects
Ms. Hilbert credits family influences for her having an open and curious mind, an adventuring spirit and an affinity for languages. Her unique concentration of experiences such as her birth abroad in Germany, living with a celebrated family in Paris’ Left Bank, coming of age in Japan, and traveling home solo via the Trans-Mongolian Express shortly after the Velvet Revolution connected her with extraordinary individuals from around the world and spawned her becoming the world citizen she is today. She has various proficiency in the French, Japanese, German, Danish and Spanish languages and cultures.
Zeroing in on the Writing
Upon her eventual return to the United States, she supported herself temporarily by working for various international companies in NYC. During this reacclimation period, she hosted an exposé-style column entitled “First Hand” for a United Nations newspaper called The Earth Times. Her writing has continually evolved, encompassing ever more creative literary pursuits. A treasured aspect of writing, she has realized, is seeing just how much truths can be adequately conveyed in a variety of writing styles and genres.
Learning to “steal the time”
Ms. Hilbert wrote her YA novel, Jump Rope Girl, over a 12-year period while raising her children, teaching French at her kitchen table, enjoying competitive league tennis with her husband, and developing charming gardens surrounding her home. She actively volunteered in local schools (e.g., teaching writing workshops) and in sustainability efforts for what became a successful NYS effort to reduce excessive use of single-use plastic bags. She also sang on stage (often in French) in area venues. A writing instructor once explained one must “steal the time” in order to fit in the writing; this method is how she operates in the name of her craft. She is thrilled to be sharing her latest published work, a collection of her simple haiku writings entitled Another Fine Day, with readers in today’s complex world.
The Bigger Story
There’s a whole big story (of course) on how her journey led her to this point, how her novel and haiku collection each came to be, their iterations over time, what inspired them, and how her work inspires her to write more. Invite her to visit your organization or book club and she can tell you more about it.
Honing Her Craft
Ms. Hilbert believes community in is key to good writing. She has honed her writing craft through coursework at the Yale Writers’ Workshop, the Sarah Lawrence College Writing Institute and the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center, not far from her home in the Hudson River Valley, a place she’s called home for more than 20 years and where she lives with her husband, two sons and two cats.
To check out some samples of what she’s been up to, click here.
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