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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2018)
26 Wednesday, August 1, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon The people behind The Nugget... Kathryn Godsiff couldn’t quite get herself to hit “send” on her first story for The Nugget, back in 2002. The self-described intro- vert had ventured outside her comfort zone to craft a story about a school play, but when she got to the last lines she “got all insecure.” Her husband, Allan, stepped in. He tied up the last lines of the story and hit that send button — and Kathryn Godsiff was a freelance reporter for The Nugget. “Writing for The Nugget has been a great boon for me, for my self-confidence,” she said. “And what an honor to see all the interesting people.” The writing aspect of the work was the easiest part, she found — since she had always had a knack for it, even when studying animal science in college. The interviewing was another matter. “For an introvert, that was so hard,” she said. “Having to learn to ask people the right questions has been a great learning experience, which I’m grateful for.” Godsiff trod carefully into her writing, and she acknowl- edges that her early pieces were a bit stiff. “Kathryn was a bit inhib- ited, a bit too careful,” Editor in Chief Jim Cornelius recalled. “I tried to encourage her to let it rip a little, that I’d rather have to rein her in than to spur her on. At some point, something clicked, because her writing became much more vivid, more muscular and really strong.” Writing for The Nugget has been a great boon for me, for my self- confidence. And what an honor to see all the interesting people. — Kathryn Godsiff Godsiff credit several things with kicking her work into a higher gear: an inten- sive writers’ workshop in Montana, joining a critique group, and writing for The Nugget’s short-lived publi- cation, the Central Oregon Horse Journal. “Every article I wrote (for COHJ) was something that I was deeply passionate about,” she recalled. The critique group was rewarding and confidence-building. Armed with well-honed chops and the confidence to go with them, Godsiff has had Kathryn Godsiff several essays published in anthologies. “I wrote one about the tat- too on my leg; that was the first one,” she said with a smile. Other essays focused on dogs, and one was written in honor of her mother. Writing and reporting is a side gig for Godsiff, who raises grass-fed beef on a ranch she and her husband manage in Sisters. She’s proud to be an “aggie.” “That’s how we’ve always wanted to be identified,” she said. “And I’m proud of that. It’s a good heritage… I feel bad when ranchers get a bad rap. I don’t know how to fight back against that — except to be a good rancher, I guess.” She finds it frustrating that views of ranchers and their trade are so often informed more by prejudice than perception. “There’s still this percep- tion that ranchers don’t take care of the land; that they just rape and pillage it,” she said. “That’s so 19th century. It’s just very frustrating that ranchers are perceived like that.” In keeping with her ranch- ing heritage, Kathryn is an avid horsewoman, having come back from a bad wreck that caused some serious injuries. She enjoys horse PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS Kathryn Godsiff has stepped way out of her comfort zone to have a significant, positive impact in the Sisters community. camping with a group of women in the Sisters area. Godsiff is an important member of Sisters Rotary, where she served as presi- dent and remains active. Her neighbor Barbara Turner, a charter member of Sisters Rotary, tapped Godsiff to join the organization when Kathryn was looking to get more involved in commu- nity activities and make a difference. Her role evolved quickly into leadership. “Again, that’s kind of hard for an introvert,” she said. “I’d rather just be in the back- ground and wash the dishes.” Nowadays, Godsiff makes significant contributions to her community in a variety of fields. She’s gotten used to stepping outside her com- fort zone, knowing that she has the ability to develop her skills and build her own con- fidence to fill whatever role she takes on. “And just think,” she said. “It all started with writing an article for The Nugget.” THANK YOU to all our readers who have let us know how much they enjoy reading The Nugget. We are honored by your appreciation and support! The Nugget You, too, can help The Nugget continue its journalistic mission... Readers like you can join our loyal advertisers in bringing The Nugget to Sisters — for free — every week! Thank you for supporting us! Make a fi nancial contribution to keep professional community journalism thriving in Sisters... ܂ $50/year Supporting Subscription ܂ $100/year Sustaining Subscription ܂ $________ Other Contribution Three easy ways to support community journalism: • Complete the form below and mail today • Call 541-549-9941 and pay by credit card • Go to NuggetNews.com to contribute online Name __________________________________________________________________ Address _________________ City ______________ State ____ Zip _________ Visit NuggetNews.com, stop by the offi ce at 442 E. Main Ave. (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri), call us at 541-549-9941, or drop a check in the mail. 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