Visually impaired writer uses sensory descriptions

Writer Candy Hamilton of Rapid City will spend this week as an artist in residence at the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Aberdeen.

Hamilton's visit is part of the South Dakota Arts Council's Artists in Schools and Communities program.

While at the school, she will work with students of all ages.

Hamilton is a published poet and writer. In addition to completing her master's degree at the University of South Dakota, she has worked as a researcher for film companies, serving as a consultant to the films "Incident at Oglala" and "Life of Leonard Peltier."

Her poetry was included in "Woven on the Wind" in 2001 and "Prairie Peaks and Skies" in 1998 and a variety of other collections. Her articles and stories have been published in the Christian Science Monitor, People, South Dakota Magazine and Winds of Change, among others.

Hamilton's residency will focus on the impact of reading and writing. She suggests using sensory descriptions to enliven short fiction, personal essays and poetry. She believes that using the five physical senses and emotions improves writing. Reading skills, vocabulary, observation skills and general communication also create strong writing, according to Hamilton.

Her residency is sponsored by the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, with support provided by the South Dakota Arts Council, with funds from the state of South Dakota, through the Department of Tourism and Sate Development, and the National Endowment for the Arts.