MEET THIS AUTHOR
Kelly Watts Williams was born at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois, the youngest of six children. She spent her formative years in Southern California, graduating from UCLA with a BA in Linguistics and Computer Science. While pursuing a career in IT as a software developer, project manager, instructor, presenter, and facilitator, Kelly’s love of language influenced her personal pursuits. From starting a singing telegram business with her best friend in high school, to performing in Community Theater musicals, to sharing her poems at Open Mics, Kelly has always enjoyed playing with words, In retirement, she has enthusiastically embraced poetry and found her voice in Spoken Word. Her insightful poetry draws on her empathetic journey of discovery and interpretation of the human experience. Kelly lives with her husband in Chattanooga, TN, and finds joy in spending time with her two children and extended family, playing racquet sports, practicing yoga, cooking, traveling the world, illustrating a book of poetry, and volunteering as a docent at the Hunter Museum of American Art.
“A Feast for the Hunger We All Have” is a book of poetry by Kelly Watts Williams. It contains a collection of traditional and free verse poems presented as a twelve course buffet, plus a selection of “word salads” that are presented as a to-go offering.
MEDIA
CHATTANOOGA TIMES FREE PRESS – OCT. 4, 2025
“Chattanooga Poet Explores Culture , Community as Part of New Book and as Part of City’s Poetry Pathway”
RATINGS & REVIEWS
Joanie from Goodreads November 12, 2025
Kelly Watts Williams has created a work of art that is as ambitious in its structure as it is profound in its emotional reach. A Feast for the Hunger We All Have is not merely a collection of poems; it is a meticulously crafted culinary experience—a “12-Course Buffet of Poetry”—that invites the reader to savor themes of life, identity, history, and healing. This book deserves every one of its five stars for its originality, its technical mastery, and its deep, palpable empathy.
Williams uses the metaphor of a meal brilliantly, organizing the collection into thematic courses, from Appetizers and Salads to the Main Entrée and, finally, Dessert. This structure provides a remarkable sense of progression, allowing complex ideas to marinate and build upon one another. We move from lighter, perhaps more whimsical, observations to heavy, meatier truths concerning justice, memory, and the shared human experience.
The versatility displayed is astonishing. Williams effortlessly moves between traditional forms—where rhythm and rhyme are expertly controlled—to the liberation of free verse, and even playful “Word Salads” that delight the intellect. Yet, no matter the style, the writing remains insightful and immediate. There are moments of quiet, tender observation that feel like a fresh sorbet, quickly followed by poems that carry the weight of history and injustice, delivered with the potent richness of a main course stew.
There are moments of quiet, tender observation that feel like a fresh sorbet, quickly followed by poems that carry the weight of history and injustice, delivered with the potent richness of a main course stew. This balancing act—between the deeply personal and the fiercely political—is where Williams truly excels, making the collection feel both timeless and urgently contemporary.
What truly elevates this collection to five-star status is its universal hunger. Williams successfully taps into the desires we all carry: the hunger for connection, the craving for truth, the need for spiritual nourishment, and the longing for peace. She finds the sacred in the secular, whether reflecting on a childhood memory in Southern California or navigating the complexities of modern identity.
This book is a complete, satisfying meal for the soul. It leaves the reader feeling nourished, challenged, and deeply seen. It’s a masterful display of poetic craft and an absolute treasure for anyone looking to feel the full spectrum of the human condition captured eloquently on the page.
GoldNookPublishing 