About Laura Forrest Hopfauf
I was born and raised along the Potomac River in a rural part of Maryland right along the West Virgina line and spent my childhood running through the woods, fishing, and building ill-fated forts. In high school I stayed on the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservations in the summer and played pickup soccer anywhere I could find a game year-round. I graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois with a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Creative Writing and minors in Ancient Greek and Environmental Studies. I also captained the collegiate women's soccer and track teams during my tenure at Knox College.
I spent my 20s paying off student loans and working a variety of jobs. I was the mail lady, a personal trainer, an exercise instructor, a lifeguard, a teaching assistant, a manager at a Fortune 500 company, and part of a technical publications team at an engineering company. In my late 20s, my husband and I quit our jobs to spend a year and a half traveling through Europe, Northern Africa, and driving across North America. Currently I am a writer, wife, and a mom working on perfecting my key lime pie recipe, trying to get my kids to sleep through the night, and finding something to laugh about every day.
Do you accept freelance work?
Yes! I'm open for business. If you have something you'd like to work on together or a pitch you'd like to send, please email me at laurahopfauf@outlook.com or use the contact me form on this page and I'll get back to you ASAP.
What makes you qualified to write about so many different topics?
I've gone out of my way to live a big life and do everything I can. I have real life experience and hard-won wisdom that influence my writing because of the way I live.
What have you done?
I've played collegiate soccer and track. Acted as a primary caregiver for a parent dying from cancer. Worked for a Fortune 500 company and managed a team there. Paid off my student loans. Been married for over a decade. Ran a marathon. Hiked across an island in the Caribbean, to the bottom of the Grand Cayon, across the Chihuahuan Desert. Paddled a canoe through the Everglades. Lived out of the back of a pick-up truck for a year without a bathroom, a fridge, or electricity. Bought and sold a house then bought another. Given birth to three beautiful girls and learned to parent them. Short and sweet - I've lived. I've lived hard. I've learned a lot. And I don't plan on stopping any time soon.
Why does writing matter to you?
It's my lifeblood. We're all put here for something, and at the risk of sounding corny, writing is part of the reason I am here. But beyond that it's something I must do to keep me sane, feeling well, and happy. In a global sense, I believe everyone has the power to change their lives no matter how old they are and I believe that the written word continues to be the leader in teaching, inspiring, and leading change even in our technology driven world.
Why will what you write matter to others?
I don't sugar coat. I don't lie. And I don't hold back my emotions. I like to believe people can feel what I write, that they can hear my voice, and in hearing my voice, they can hear their own.
Favorite Books?
The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway
No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
Every Summer After by Carly Fortune
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
I also read anything by SA Cosby or Mary Oliver.
What are you working on now?
I'm working on a literary novel and also working on a love story. I have a complete chapbook of poetry focused on memory that I'm tinkering. I'm always freelancing for multiple publications along with thinking about my bi-monthly column.
Do you have social media?
No. It feels inauthentic to me and isn't something that I use regularly. This website and a newsletter felt like a better way to communicate and be who I really am.
Where can I read what you've written?
Most of my publications are linked on the publications page on my site. You can also sign up for my newsletter that I'll drop once a month with links to my new publications, what I'm reading, maybe what I'm cooking, where I'm traveling, and some life news too.