Vermont
North Words: a Vermont woman’s intimate revolution in art and writing
Mo Fitzgerald lives in Vermont, where she works as a consultant and continues to write and draw. Photo provided.
Jun 07, 2024 —
Content warning: Mo Fitzgerald’s interview with Mitch Teich includes discussions of drug addiction and emotional abuse, as well as some harsh language.
Mo Fitzgerald grew up in Oregon, playing soccer. It turned out she was pretty good. Good enough, in fact, that she ended up playing first at Boise State, and then the University of Oregon – two Division I teams. And then, one day, she got called up to the even bigger time – the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League, even as she was teaching high school in Portland.
And for many people, that might be the pinnacle. A climb to the top – a pro, with your name across the back of your jersey, playing in front of thousands. But Mo Fitzgerald’s story didn’t come close to ending there.
There was a huge fall – a relationship that proved not to be what Fitzgerald had dreamed, the toxicity of which led to a likewise huge crisis in confidence, self-esteem, and belief – all as a global pandemic was setting in.
Throughout it all, Mo Fitzgerald wrote. Journal entries and poems, and later lists and essays. And she started to draw. And as she began to pull out of her tailspin, she brought a memoir into the world, called Good Girl: Soundbites from an Intimate Revolution, a book that is both brilliant and which knocks the breath out of your chest.
Maureen “Mo” Fitzgerald (at far right) celebrates with her Portland Thorns teammates during her time with the NWSL club. Photo provided.
Today, Fitzgerald has just moved to Vermont, south of Burlington. She’s a consultant for global brands such as Nike Women, and for places like the Julliard School. She writes, she does artwork, and still dabbles in the soccer world. And she has a lot to say about where she’s been and where she sees herself in the universe.
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