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Erika Hammerschmidt
Author, Artist, Speaker
If I were a bird, I'd be a starling. Born in the wrong place, through no fault of my own, and therefore not always popular with humans. Lovingly social with birds of a feather. Full of words and songs. Clever and curious to a fault. Plumage made of outer space, a rainbow of nebulae and stars.
Speeches - Books - Jewelry - Comics
About Me
My first name is Erika. Not Erica. Not Ericka. My last name is Hammerschmidt, which has thirteen letters, including five consonants in a row. People still find it easier to spell than my first name.
My email is humanalien at gmail dot com.
(That's "Human Alien," not "Humana Lien" or "Hum Anal Ien.")
In college I majored in German and Spanish. I also accidentally minored in art , just by taking so many art classes for the fun of it. I grow my own vegetables. I am obsessed with pet birds . I make jewelry that looks like a Renaissance Fair gone wild.
I'm an author, artist and speaker who moved from Minnesota to Pennsylvania and then to California. Going by temperature alone, I'm on the road to hell.
I work in a pharmacy as well as giving speeches on autism and writing books . I am in a bi-poly partnership with some lovely trans women space aliens who, like me, are on the autism spectrum.
I'm in the process of updating this website with info about my new found family and living situation. Some of it may still be out of date, and older posts may refer to my partner by a name she doesn't use any more. Eventually there will be a page dedicated to this aspect of my life. For now, the most up-to-date info on that topic is in this blog post:
The Kea Series:
The If the World Ended, Would I Notice? Series:
Explorations of life on Earth as an author with an alien mind. Thoughts on autism and the other diagnoses I live with, and on the stories I write about them.
News and thoughts about writing, in its many forms that intersect my life. Updates about my books and stories. Reviews of other people's writing. Insights about the world of authors in general.
Third planet problems: My reactions to current events. My thoughts about the political and ethical questions of Earth.
Pictures and stories of the material creations that grow from my ever-active hands. Jeweled, wire-wrapped and sewn treasures. News of the craft events where I plan to appear. Tutorials, sometimes, on how to make things I make.
Personal stories and pictures from my alien outpost on Terra. Shared glimpses of my home and family, including the non-human Earthlings we adopt.
Also, check the calendar for upcoming events!