Anxious Kid Makes Pretty Good is a candid, often wry collection of essays tracing one woman’s life with high anxiety, ADHD, and recurring depression—and the winding, determined path that eventually leads to a vocation as writer and editor. After years of earnest but unfulfilling jobs, she discovers that the very traits that once felt burdensome have become part of her creative engine. Told in two parts, the first offers a memoir—“All Day Long I Wondered”—chronicling the author’s struggles, stumbles, and small triumphs. The second, “Messy Process Does Not Mean Messy Result,” gathers hard-won reflections on writing and the writing life, delivered with clarity, empathy, and humour. Both writers and non-writers alike will find insight, encouragement, and recognition in these pages.
Rona Altrows is an essayist, fiction writer, editor, and playwright who believes that literature plays a critical role in the fight for social justice. Her books include A Run on Hose, Key in Lock, and At This Juncture, and she has edited or co-edited four anthologies including Please Don't Interrupt, co-edited by Uche Umezurike. Rona’s honours include the W.O. Mitchell Book Prize, the Jon Whyte Memorial Essay Prize, and the 2025 $50,000 Prairie Grindstone Prize for both her body of work and her ongoing commitment to supporting emerging and established writers. She lives in Calgary.
Contact Rona directly at info@ronaaltrows.com.
