Technically, Emily Dromgold ’17 wrote the first draft of her book in three months.

In reality, though, it took a lifetime.

Ms. Dromgold, a former student and current faculty member at Wilbraham & Monson Academy, had her book, “The Dog with the Flute in its Mouth,” published in November by Finishing Line Press.

“This collection is the culmination of my graduate school thesis from 2022, but I began writing when I was little,” said Ms. Dromgold, who penned the book under the name Emily Anna King. “In some ways, it took my whole life to have the experience, perspective and intention to write this collection which is so personal and special to me.”

Other quotes from Ms. Dromgold

On why she chose this title: “At first, the character of the dog with the flute in its mouth didn’t exist. Through drafting, the character came to be and serves as a unifying witness and enactor upon the threads of story pulling the collection together. Thinking of the role of the people (and family dogs) who were witnesses to watching me grow up through joy and hardship, triumph and darkness, I felt that the presence of unconditional love and guardianship found both in my real life and this story felt right as my title subject.” 

On why she wanted to write a book on this topic: “This collection was a practice of becoming, a practice of healing and an expression of love. My collection navigates themes of heritage, identity, relationships and family. It is also an origin story I cannot know about myself. For most of my life, I did not embrace the Chinese part of my heritage - being an adoptee from China - until meeting role models and having other opportunities to learn to celebrate this part of myself in places including America, China, Ireland and more. Embracing this part of my history and my identity falls within a long and challenging path that I will grow with my entire life.”

On why she wrote her book in a poetic format: “Poetry is a freeing genre for me: I am not limited by traditional grammatical expectations. I feel most capable of expressing myself through poetry as my thoughts often merge in collections of images or immersive, almost cinematic, presentations that translate well to poetry. To present a collection that encapsulated so much of myself, I felt that I needed to write in the genre that comes most naturally to me.”

On her biggest challenge in writing this book: “The most prominent challenge was carrying the goal to write a collection navigating my identity in a way I was too afraid to when I was younger, without knowing exactly how the pieces would turn out. I dove into a journey with no clear path despite having a strong sense of purpose. I was afraid of failure and not creating something ‘good enough’ and battling that negativity was sometimes difficult. Although, by showing up each day to write and try to open my mind to what could be discovered through the process, helped me feel supported and more confident as time went on. I wanted my voice to feel honest and like myself within the collection. I am grateful to know that it feels very much like me.”

On being published: “I wanted to write a book since I was in fifth grade. I feel incredibly grateful to have my story in the world, especially this one. While publication provides an unbelievable sense of validation, I think my most fulfilling aspect of writing this collection comes from the process of drafting, the adventures, travels and moments I’ve shared with my friends and family and those important to me, and all of the living needed to both become more ‘me’ and also become the writer I am today with a story I feel is worth telling.”