ART + WINE + CHEESE: Kim Gilliam Discussion and Signing for Memoir “Dragonfly”

Kim Gilliam, author of “Dragonfly,” a moving memoir about mothering a child with mental health and neurodivergent disorders, at Nepenthe leading a discussion, answering questions and signing books.

Alexandria native Kim Gilliam has spent her career in nonprofit communications sharing the stories of others in a variety of mediums. With a deep passion for storytelling, she has now turned the pen to her own story—one she’s been quietly working through for years. 

She was invited to contribute to best-selling author Jessica Buchanan’s third Deserts to Mountaintops anthology, The Pilgrimage of Motherhood, a collection of raw, heartbreaking, but ultimately inspiring memoirs from 22 women writers. Gilliam writes of her experience mothering a child with mental health and neurocognitive disorders for more than two decades—a pilgrimage of atonement that has shaped her in profound ways. 

She hopes her story, “Dragonfly,” will resonate with those traveling a similar (often lonely) path and encourage a broader, more open conversation about mental health. Gilliam’s unwavering resolve and raw vulnerability offer a powerful, inspiring journey of love, heartbreak, and hope.