Kat Halfman

Background

About Kat Halfman

Journalist, poet, storyteller, and editor with experience writing creative nonfiction and fiction. I’m passionate about amplifying the voices of underserved communities, as well as illuminating new perspectives on the ordinary. I was chief copyeditor for the Teaching Press at UW-Green Bay for the book "A Portrait of Grief and Courage: A Collection of Hmong Oral Histories and Folktales" by Sandra Shackelford, a compendium of otherwise untold Hmong oral histories and folktales. I worked for The Press Times as a full-time staff intern interviewing for and writing articles, proofreading and copyediting each week’s paper, and publishing articles online and on social media utilizing SEO on WordPress. I also worked as a freelance journalist for The Business News, where I interviewed local business owners and wrote articles about their accomplishments and struggles. My keen eye for editing means I catch errors others overlook, and I’m skilled in conducting thorough background research for both news articles and creative projects."A Portrait of Grief and Courage" describes an entire culture I was previously unfamiliar with, but with rigorous research, I was able to not only understand Hmong cultural norms and expressions used in the book, but also identify errors in the identification and spelling of relevant locations in Laos and Vietnam. When writing journalism, I represent not only myself but the publication as a whole, so I’m experienced in fact checking all of the information obtained from my interviews to ensure everything is accurate, as well as supplementing any needed additional context. I’m seeking professional connections in the fields of writing, editing, and publishing, so please reach out!