I’m Colleen Snyder, a writer, speaker, and lifelong learner based in the mountains of Virginia. My work explores language, culture, genetic heritage, and the ways people find meaning, belonging, and connection across time and place. I’m especially drawn to small, independent projects and to learning as an ongoing, lived practice.
My path into this work began unexpectedly. During the pandemic, I discovered that I carry a rare genetic mutation that caused my gigantism. What began as a set of test results became a deeper inquiry into science, history, and identity, connecting me with others who share this genetic legacy as well as with researchers studying the condition.
That journey led to my debut book, In Search of Giants: The Quest to Find the Genetic Giants of Northern Ireland. The book explores the land of Irish giants—both living and legendary—and traces my effort to understand where I fit within that landscape. Written in collaboration with historian Brendan Holland, the project combined personal narrative with historical research rooted in the region between the Sperrin Mountains and Lough Neagh.
Along the way, I reconnected with my Irish roots in ways I had never anticipated. I began studying the Irish language and found myself part of a global community of Irish speakers—a modern, online Gaeltacht stretching from Europe to North America and beyond. That experience deepened my interest in contemporary Irish culture, mythology, and the living presence of language.
Today, my work centers on essays, talks, and a series of small booklets inspired by Irish mythic figures, particularly women from Irish folklore. Through writing, workshops, and speaking engagements, I explore questions of identity, belonging, and what it means to begin again, especially later in life.
If you’re interested in language, culture, and thoughtful, independent creative work, I’m glad you’re here.
Contact
colleen@colleensnyder.net
You can also find my current writing on Substack at Unmarked Ground.