Panel discussion looks at not having children

A panel of women who have no children will lead a discussion from 2 to 3:30 p.m.Sunday, April 7, at Linfield College's Nicholson Library. The event is open to the public without charge.

The discussion is based on former local resident Kate Twitchell Kaufmann's new book, "Do You Have Kids? Life When the Answer is No."

Kaufmann will be part of the panel along with Jenny Berg, director of the McMinnville Public Library, and Bobbi Hartwell, a nuclear engineer and former owner of The Filling Station deli in Carlton.

All three women tell their stories in Kaufmann's book, which features interviews with about three dozen people who chose not to have children or weren'tt able to.

"When you don’t have kids, life unfolds quite differently than it does for parents,"  the author said.

Kaufmann is a former Carlton resident. She volunteered with children who needed help in reading at writing at Yamhill-Carlton Elementary School for many years. She also is known for her work in Gallery Theater shows: She played the Wicked Witch of the West in "Wizard of Oz" and Anne's aunt in "Anne of Green Gables,"

She has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in creative writing, with a professional background in corporate staffing, training and consulting. Her writing has appeared the Washington Post and other publications.

She advocates for better understanding of the childless and childfree in classrooms, on panels, and with professional groups, among them the University of Dayton, AARP and the Oregon Community Foundation.

The libraries and Third Street Books are hosting the event.