Cunnane, Kelly ( - )

Genre: Children's Literature, Non-Fiction

Beals, ME resident Kelly Cunnane is a writer and educator who is greatly influenced by the many different countries and cultures where she has lived and taught.

She has an MA in English/Creative Nonfiction and has published in Down East, Christian Science Monitor,as well as various anthologies and children's picture books with Simon & Schuster, Random House, and Heinemann International.

Before marriage and a family, Cunnane was a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching English as a second language, in countries such as China, Africa and South America. She and her family went back to live for a year in the Kenyan village in which she had served in the Peace Corps. When they returned, they brought a Kenyan boy with them as an exchange student who lived with them in Beals and assisted Kelly in producing a play at Beals Elementary School.

In September of 2008, she took a teaching position in the West African country of Mauritania and stayed there for a year until the tumultuous political situation prompted her to return home.

Using her diverse cultural experiences, she creates workshops for children where the use of drama, art and writing helps them to learn about African cultures.