Betsy Fitzgerald is a former New York Times contributing writer whose fiction has been recognized in literary competitions.
“I was born in Somers, Connecticut, a small town nestled against the Massachusetts border. We lived next to my grandparents’ small dairy farm, surrounded by cornfields, hay meadows and tobacco sheds.
My mother worked for the Springfield, Mass newspaper as a stringer and she would allow me to take her phone calls from the local funeral home and write local obits. There was little room for creativity but I would see my work in print as she measured inches of copy–the manner in which they paid her. These forays, enhanced by formal studies at the University of Connecticut journalism department, led me to a writing career as a journalist, first with community newspapers and then as a regular contributing writer to the New York Times.
I lived in New Haven, Connecticut for many years, but I now live and work in Massachusetts. I hold dual U.S. and Irish citizenship, the latter a nod to my grandmother’s pilgrimage from County Cavan in the early 1900s. That, as well, fuels me though I could not exactly say how. I just know that it does.
I am a founding member of the Island Writing group led by Sally Ryder Brady. These wonderful writers come together each year for one week in the fall. Meeting on an island off Cape Cod, the group has mentored, enlivened, and nurtured my writing life.”
While working on her fiction, Betsy Fitzgerald has held communications and public relations positions for a variety of non-profit organizations, as well as owning a communications/marketing consulting company. She is married to a fellow writer, parent to two exceptional daughters and enamored with Waffles, a mixed heritage pup she rescued at the MSPCA.
Prizes and recognition include Sante Fe Writers Project, Laurinda Collins Whitney Short Story competition, and Connecticut Writers’ Short Story competition. Her public relations work has garnered awards from the Public Relations Society, New England Society Healthcare Communicators, and Telly awards.
Her earlier work appears under the name of Betsy Percoski.
photo by Art Campbell
