Candice Kelsey

Poet, Creative Nonfiction Writer

Author's Bio

CANDICE KELSEY [she/her] is a poet, educator, and activist in Georgia. She serves as a creative writing mentor with PEN America's Prison Writing Program; her work appears in West Trestle, Heimat Review, Poet Lore, and Worcester Review among other journals. Recently, Candice was a finalist in Iowa Review's Poetry Contest and nominated for a Best Microfiction 2023. She is the author of Still I am Pushing (FLP '20), A Poet (ABP '22), and a forthcoming collection with Pine Row Press. Her first chapbook based on the Choose Your Own Adventure book series releases in spring '23.  Find her @candice-kelsey-7 @candicekelsey1 and www.candicemkelseypoet.com.

Publications & Prizes

Creative Nonfiction

Journals:
Atlas & Alice
,
Grim & Gilded
, ,
Montana Mouthful
, ,
Reservoir Road Literary Review
,
Teachers & Writers Magazine

Poetry

Books:
The Poet Dreams of Driving a Ding-a-Ling Ice Cream Truck & Other Means of Escape (Pine Row Press, 2023)
,
A Girl / Woman / Teacher / Poet (Alien Buddha Press, 2022)
,
Still I am Pushing (Finishing Line Press, 2020)
Prizes won: 

Nominated, Best Microfiction 2022

Finalist, Iowa Review Annual Poetry Contest, 2022

Finalist, Teachers & Writers Collaborative Bechtel Prize, 2022

Semi-finalist, Meadowlark Press Birdy Prize, 2022

Finalist, Cutthroat Joy Harjo Poetry Prize, 2021

Winner, Two Sisters Micro Story Contest, 2021

Winner, Rebecca Laird Poetry Prize, 2020

Winner, Common Ground Poetry Contest, 2019

Personal Favorites

Favorite authors: 
Ada Limon Linda Pastan Marilyn Chin Mark Doty Sharon Olds Lucille Clifton Natasha Tretheway Kwame Dawes Natalie Diaz
What I'm reading now: 
The Poem's Heartbeat: A Manual of Prosody by Alfred Corn

More Information

Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
Yes
Identifies as: 
American
Prefers to work with: 
Any
Fluent in: 
English
Born in: 
MA
Massachusetts
Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.
Last update: Jan 30, 2023