Featured Interview With Alegra Loewenstein
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and bred in Texas! I grew up in the Dallas Fort Worth area, but in the suburbs, which has never been my thing. I went to college in Austin, got a B.S. in Ecology & Conservation Biology from UT, then promptly went on to get an M.F.A. in Creative Writing (Poetry) at San Diego State University. I still live in San Diego, but I don’t write very much poetry anymore. (Gasp!) I have found my sweet spot genius zone in healthy living non-fiction!
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always fancied myself a creative type. I wrote a lot of cheesy poetry as an angst ridden teen, and some much better poetry in college, and some pretty darn good poetry in grad school. The main line of improvement was I stopped writing about “boys” and started writing about nature and the environment. My nature poetry is MUCH better than my unrequited love poetry.
I actually didn’t like reading in high school or college! I’m a very slow reader, and when you read slow and you have to finish things by a certain time, it’s not a good combination. In grad school I had to read even more, and somehow I came out of it finally loving to read!
I worked in science education and the biology and writing all came together in that field. From there it was an easy transition to start writing health content, and that was when I really felt like I could never get tired of writing!!!!
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love to read non-fiction. I’ll read a ton of non-fiction at the same time, that is a huge source of inspiration, as it all swirls together in my brain. Sometimes it takes me years to finish a book because I’m reading so many all at once! I’m kind of addicted to self improvement, and I’ll read a lot of topics I’m wanting to improve, such as mindfulness, education, environment, parenting, business skills, and of course always health and wellness! I love Michael Pollan (food journalism) and Sandra Blackard (parenting / teaching) and Jill Lublin (business). I only read one fiction at a time.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
In Kitchen Magic: Simple Recipes & Rituals to Manifest Health & Happiness, you will be surprised at how FUN it is to read. It’s not a cook book, though it does have recipes. This book is enjoyable to read cover to cover! It’s like I brought you into my kitchen for a day, and we had fun playing around with all kinds of recipes and ideas, whatever pops into our heads, and if we don’t have the exact ingredients, we improvise! And it all got wrapped up in a book! It really is teaching an approach to food, natural living, and the kitchen as a concept more than just a series of recipes/instructions to follows.
Connect with the Author on their Websites and Social media profiles
Alegra Loewenstein Facebook Page