EDUCATION

*Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing--Poetry, 2016.

Cornell University, Ithaca NY. 

*Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, English Minor, 2013.

Howard University, Washington, DC. 

*Non-Degree Core Studies, English, 2012.

Columbia University, New York, NY. 

UNIVERSITY TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Rutgers University–Newark, MFA in Creative Writing Program, Newark, NJ. 

* (Current) Lecturer, (Initial) Visiting Faculty; 2025 to Present

New Jersey Institute of Technology, Dept. of Humanities & Social Sciences, NJ. 

*Part-time Instructor, 2023 to 2024

The New School-Parsons, Dept. of Art Design History & Theory, NY. 

*Lecturer, 2021 to 2023

Pratt Institute, Dept. of Humanities & Media Studies, Brooklyn, NY 

*Visiting Assistant Professor, 2021 to 2022 

Cornell University, Dept. of Literatures in English, Ithaca, NY. 

*(Final) Lecturer, (Initial) Instructor, 2014 to 2017

OTHER FACILITATION & TEACHING EXPERIENCE

*The Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY

Professional Consultant, Writing & Speaking Studio

also: Demystifying Artist Statements, a workshop

*The School of the New York Times, New York, NY

Writing Assistant & Instructor

August Writers Workshop; Cultural & Creative Writing

EDITORIAL WORK

●Writing Consultant, GrubStreet, Boston, MA (virtual), 2019—Present

●Professional Writing Consultant, Fashion Institute of Technology, 2023—2024

●Assistant Editor, Epoch Magazine, Ithaca, NY, 2013—2015

●Editorial Intern, Refinery29, Washington, DC, 2013—2013

●Intern, Howard Office of University Communications, Washington, DC, 2013—2013

●News Gathering Intern, CNN/HLN, New York, NY, January 2012—May 2012

●Editorial Intern, Washington City Paper, Washington, DC, May 2011—August 2011 

FEATURED READINGS & LECTURES

●“Reading w. Sakinah Hofler & Simeon Marsalis, Newark Culture Club, 2026.

●“Unsettling Images, Engaging Fictions,” Brown University, Providence, RI, 2025. 

●“Out of the Box,” Bowery Poetry Club, New York, NY, 2025.

●Women of Color in Fundraising & Philanthropy (WOC)® Symposium, Virtual, 2024.

●“I Split the Dream” Poetry + Music Night, Neptune in June, New York, NY, 2024.

●Brooklyn Poets Reading Series w. Hieu Minh Nguyen & sam sax, Brooklyn, NY, 2024.

●Spectral Evidence w. Gregory Pardlo, The Urbane Arts Club, Brooklyn, NY, 2024.

●Château de Lavigny June Residents Reading, Vaud, Switzerland, 2024.

●Brooklyn Poets Pre-Poetry Festival w. Taylor & Co. Books, Brooklyn, NY, 2024.

●Unnameable Books Reading w. Mandy Gutmann-Gonzalez & Benjamin Garcia, 2024.

●Lavender Room Reading Series, Taylor & Co. Books, Brooklyn, NY, 2023.

●Supa Dupa Fresh Reading Series, Ode to Babel, Brooklyn, NY, 2023.

●NOMAD Readings w. Andriniki Mattis & Catherine Chen, Brooklyn, NY, 2023.

●Casual Conversation w. María Fernanda, Sankofa Books & Cafe, Washington, DC, 2023.

●Artists Against Cop City, Astoria Food Pantry, Queens, NY, 2023.

●WORD Bookstore ft. Grisel Y. Acosta, Renia White, & The Illars, Jersey City, NJ, 2023.

●“In Surreal Life,” virtual, New York, NY, 2023.

●BOA Editions Ltd. Dine & Rhyme, Rochester, NY, 2022.

●Cavanaugh Lecture (Annual), St. John Fisher University, Rochester, NY, 2022.

●Writers @ Newark Reading Series, Rutgers-Newark University, Newark, NJ, 2022.

●Slack Tongue City x Casual Conversation w. Mackenzie Berry, Brooklyn, NY, 2022.

●Greenlight Poetry Salon ft. Aracelis Girmay, hosted by Angel Nafis, Brooklyn, NY, 2022.

●Girl in a Town w. BK Fischer & Erika Meitner, Mcnally Jackson Books, 2022.

●Casual Conversation w. Sasha Banks, Cafe con Libros, Brooklyn, NY, Virtual, 2022.

●Casual Conversation Launch w. Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon, Buffalo St Books, Ithaca, NY, 2022

●CRUSH # 26, Woodbine, New York, NY, 2021

●No, Dear Fall 2020 Issue Launch, Brooklyn, NY, Virtual, 2020

●Spring Writes Literary Festival, Ithaca, NY, Buffalo Street Books, 2017

●Dead Rabbits Reading Series, New York, NY, DTUT, 2016

●Stone Canoe Featured Reading, Ithaca, NY, Community Arts Center, 2016

●GOSSIP: a poetry reading, Ithaca, NY, 2016 

●The Writer’s Hotel Reading Series, New York, NY, Book Culture, 2016

●Michael Prior Presents “Model Disciple,” Ithaca, NY, Buffalo Street Books, 2016

●We Step into the Light, Ithaca, NY, Clark Atrium, Cornell University, 2015 

SELECTED HONORS

●Watchword Prize, Georgetown Center for Law & Privacy, 2024, Finalist.

●Château de Lavigny Fellowship, Writer in Residence, Château de Lavigny, 2023, Recipient.

●Philip Freund Prize for Creative Writing, Cornell University, 2021, Winner.

●Blessing the Boats Selections, BOA Editions, 2021, Winner.

●Puerto del Sol 2020 Poetry Contest, Puerto del Sol, 2020, Finalist.

●Writing for Justice Fellowship, PEN America, 2019, Semi-finalist.

●Witness Literary Awards, Witness Magazine, 2019, Runner-up.

●½ K Literary Prize, Indiana Review, 2018, Finalist.

●Janet B. McCabe Prize, Ruminate Magazine, 2018, Honorable mention.

●Mary C. Mohr Award in Poetry, Southern Indiana Review, 2016, Finalist.

●Sonora Review Annual Poetry Contest, Sonora Review, 2016, Winner.

●David L. Picket Thesis Fellowship, Cornell Dept. of Literatures in English, 2015, Recipient.

●College Writers Award, Hurston/Wright Foundation, 2015, Winner.

SELECTED SPECIAL MENTIONS

●“On Renia White’s Casual Conversation,” Mid-American Review, 2023.

●“A Review a Week: Casual Conversation,” Lynn Domina, 2023.

●“Poetry Books for the Winter Season,” Santa Barbara Independent, 2022.

●“Cavanaugh Lecture to Consider Social Norms…,” St. John Fisher University, 2022.

●“if you want to make it more complicated, I agree,” Hudson Review, 2022.

●“The Hem of the Star: Casual Conversation,” Gasher Press, 2022.

●“Poetry for the Rest of Us,” Ms. Magazine, 2022. 

SELECTED INTERVIEWS & CONVERSATIONS

●Brooklyn Poets “Poet of the Week, 8.12-8.18” feature interview with BP editorial (2024)

●BOA Editions, Ltd., “A Transformative Residency” interview with Ben Thompson (2024)

●Largehearted Boy, A “Book Notes” Playlist for Casual Conversation (2022)

●Greenlight Podcast, S. 3 Ep. 8, Poetry Salon with Aracelis Girmay & Angel Nafis (2022)

●BOA Editions, “The Light Beyond Language” interview with Theresa VanWormer (2022)

●No, Dear Magazine, Issue 25 FEED Conversations with Calvin Walds (2021)

●PhDivas Podcast, Season 2 Episode 6, “Imposter Syndrome,” (2016)