Welcome to My World

Welcome to my official website. I am Diane Louise (Mumper) Klutz. I have survived six decades so far and, if my daughter has anything to do with it, plan to go for at least three more.

Born and raised in rural Southwestern Pennsylvania, I knew from an early age that I wanted adventure — to experience what the world had to offer. Of course, for a girl living in the sixties that wasn't easy. Undaunted by my parents' “No's!”, I moved away to attend nursing school, joined the Army Nurse Corps, and went to Vietnam.

Those years became the heart of my memoir Round Eyes: An American Nurse in Vietnam. Since then, the misadventures of a certified Klutz have filled the pages of Martini Alley, and my concern for people living on the margins shaped You Can't Sleep Here: Visions of Homelessness.

Alongside my writing, I speak publicly about social affairs, my Vietnam War experiences, and the craft of writing — its structure and its pitfalls.