About the Author
As an English teacher, Carrie Kennedy felt privileged to teach a unit on classical mythology, but she was constantly disappointed by the available materials. She could find beautiful picture books for young children and in-depth resources for older students. But what she really needed was an engaging, informative book that would get middle and high school students excited about myths and show how myths remain relevant to modern life.
So Carrie began reading and researching, collecting pieces of information and seeing how they could be used to create a better resource for her students. Organization of the unwieldy material was key, so she came up with an innovative framework that included grounding the myths in historical and cultural context, and categorizing the myths by theme.
After writing new material in the summers, Carrie would return to the classroom in the fall, getting important feedback from her students while offering them the unique opportunity to learn about a large-scale writing project.
Carrie had completed a full manuscript by the time her second daughter was born. But her ideal mythology source did not become fully realized until her husband, Kevin Kennedy, collaborated with her to design and produce Panorama. They self-published the book in 2010 and were thrilled that it received a national IPPY Award for excellence in independent publishing that same year.
Carrie holds a B.A. in English and art from Hamilton College and a Master's in Special Education from American University. She spent ten years teaching in a variety of classroom settings before taking time to raise two daughters.
In addition to her writing and curriculum development, Carrie now holds several teaching posts, including work as an adjunct in the literary arts department of the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School and as an instructor through the University of Pittsburgh's OSHER adult education program. She lectures widely on her book and also offers workshops for teachers, parents, and administrators on identifying learning strengths and fostering creativity in children.
She is currently working on two additional book projects.
About the Designer
When Kevin Kennedy's wife, Carrie, first began to toy with the idea of writing a book on classical mythology, he took an interest in the subject. But before long, he became as committed to designing the book as she was to writing it. While she focused on crafting clear text and developing the interdisciplinary content, he drew on his expertise of clear design to ensure the abundant material remained clean, engaging, and truly accessible to a wide audience.
Kevin earned a BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University and has worked in the design and communications field for over 20 years. His work has been recognized by the American Institute of Graphic Arts, PRINT magazine, the Pittsburgh Ad Federation, and the Public Relations Society of America. He currently serves as Vice President and Creative Director at a marketing communications firm located in Pittsburgh, PA.
