Faces of Southeast Missouri: Dawn Prim

Dawn Prim who lives in Poplar Bluff, Mo., taught English at the seventh through twelfth grade levels for 20 years, taught English at Southeast Missouri State University and wrote for newspapers. A mother to two daughters, she now has four grandchildren and four bonus grandchildren through her husband. A lover of writing since childhood, last year, she decided it was time to make her dream of being an author a reality.

In 2024, she self-published three books: the nonfiction memoir “When Grandma Turned the Pages: Song-based journaling” and the children’s books “Roscoe’s Worry” and “Miss Prim’s Not Present.” The children’s books are illustrated by Jackson artist Saundra Flanagan.

“As soon as I knew there were books, I always wanted to be a writer,” Prim says. “I’m getting older, and if I’m going to do it, I need to do it now. ... I felt like, ‘Well, it’s time,’ and plus, I want to do it for my grandkids.”

“When Grandma Turned the Pages” blends research about some of Prim’s favorite hymns and the lyrics to those hymns with her thoughts about those songs. It also includes journaling prompts and space for the reader to reflect on their own associations with hymns and faith.

“Roscoe’s Worry” follows a stuffed dog that worries his ears will fall off because the little girl he belongs to talks a lot. The stuffed dog Roscoe that Prim’s father gave to her when she was a child inspired the story.

“Miss Prim’s Not Present” explores what happens at school one day when the fourth grade teacher is uncharacteristically absent. Prim drew on her own experiences as a teacher for this book.

Prim wrote and designed all of the books, teaching herself how to do each step in the process. Her ultimate writing goal is to get a book she writes published through a small press.

Her love of learning helped her through the process.

“We’re always changing,” Prim says. “And I just believe you have to keep learning. It’s kind of like, you do this, now, what’s the next thing I can learn to do? And people that are happy and keep going do that. They don’t say, ‘Yeah, I was this.’”

Prim has read “Roscoe’s Worry” at story time at the Poplar Bluff Library and plans to do the same with “Miss Prim is Not Present.” She will have a book launch at the Margaret Harwell Art Museum in Poplar Bluff Sunday, Feb. 16, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Last winter, Prim led a four-week song journaling workshop series at her church using “When Grandma Turned the Pages” as the catalyst for the event. Throughout the classes, the women who attended had the opportunity to reflect on their own lives and write from the prompts listed in the book.

Journaling helped Prim get negative thoughts, feelings and experiences out and “away” from her when she struggled with depression in college and when she went through breast cancer. She says she also enjoys journaling about the good things that happen to her, because it helps her remember them.

Through her book, she hopes others experience the benefits of journaling, too.

“My hope was that the writing helps me, maybe it’ll help somebody else,” Prim says. “Writing we do in isolation, but it brings us together.”