Kathleen P. Decker, M.D.

Dr. Kathleen P. Decker is an award-winning poet (The Poetry Society of Virginia, 2024, National Federation of State Poetry Societies, 2023), fiber artist, physician, and musician. She is a past president of the National League of American Pen Women, Seattle Branch, and served as Vice President of the Poetry Society of Virginia, Eastern Region from 2019-2023 and 2024-current. Dr. Decker was a member of the Williamsburg Poetry Guild from 2018-2022, and Haiku Society of America since 1996. She authored several books of haiku, senryu, and tanka, including Russian Reverie (1999), Whispers on Paper (2000) and Essence of Woman (1999) (all by Laughing CyPress, Seattle, WA) . She has also authored western poetry books including Updraft, and Fishmas: Twelve Days of Christmas by the Sea (High Tide Publications, 2022, 2023). She has published many poems in national and international publications. She edited and published an online and print international haiku journal called Chiyo’s Corner (Laughing Cypress, Seattle, WA, 1999-2002) and was an editor for the World Haiku Association. She edited two haiku anthologies: My Neighbor’s Life, an anthology celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Haiku Society of America (Laughing CyPress, Seattle, WA, 1999) and On Crimson Wings, celebrating the centennial of the Japanese Consulate of Seattle (Laughing CyPress, Seattle, WA, 2001). With three other poets (Raffael DeGrutola, Shokan Tadashi Kondo, and Zinovy Vayman), she created a poetry/music/art film Shedding Winter Coats from a 100-line renku they wrote together.  She edited three anthologies for the Poetry Society of Virginia: Quilted Poems (Poetry Society of Virginia, 2023), Views of Virginia (Poetry Society of Virginia, 2024), and Blended Voices (High Tide Publications, Deltaville, VA, 2024).

Her non-fiction publications include the book Fit, Unfit, or Misfit: How to Perform Fitness for Duty Evaluations in Law Enforcement Personnel (Thomas, Springfield, IL, 2006) and over 60 peer-reviewed scientific publications. Dr. Decker is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. For her Fiber Art C.V. click on the link below her picture.