Carolynn Kingyens was born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia, where her red brick row house was prone to chronic leaks. She is the author of two poetry collections, Before the Big Bang Makes a Sound (2020) and Coupling (2021). Her third collection, Lost in the Bardo, is scheduled for release in early 2026.
Ed Meek, poet, writer, and book reviewer for The Arts Fuse, writes: Kingyens is particularly good at dramatizing paradoxes we cling to in everyday life. She suggests we live lives filled with tragicomedy.
Barnes & Noble on Instagram: Contemporary, urban, and impassioned, Carolynn Kingyens’ poetry resonates with a darkening echo still felt long after the first read.
As original as Neruda and as wise as Mary Oliver, Kingyens understands how to capture the moment like no other contemporary poet. These are gentle narrative poems as honest as they are true.
—Jacob M. Appel, author of The Cynic in Extremis
I don’t know of another book of poetry that portrays middle age with the blend of humor and
deep emotion that distinguishes Carloynn Kingyens’ Lost in the Bardo. In vivid high res,
these poems combine spiky wit and acute observation with the vulnerable openness of a voice
“forever searching.” Contemporary poetry is larger and more alive for this superb collection.
—Peter Campion, author of One Summer Evening at the Falls, El Dorado, and Other People
In addition to poetry, Kingyens writes essays, reviews, and short fiction. Two short stories were selected for The Best of Fiction 2021 and 2023 by Across the Margin, a Brooklyn arts & culture webzine, including ATM Storytellers, a podcast available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Simplecast.
Her poems have been featured in Boxcar Poetry Journal, Schuylkill Valley Journal, The Potomac, Haggard & Halloo, The Orange Room Review, Red Eft Review, Across the Margin, Tuck Magazine, Word Riot, Eunoia Review, Glass: Journal of Poetry, One Art, The Five-Two, and The Somerville Times.
Book and film reviews have been published by Across the Margin and The Arts Fuse (2025). Two essays were republished by YourTango in 2024.
Since 2020, twelve short stories have been published. These titles include:
Gemma, The Bear (2020)
Fast Car (2020)
Sunglasses At Night (2020)
For Oona (2021)
Moveable Crusade (2021)
The Peggy Effect (2021)
Bye-Bye, Miss American Pie (2021)
Cooper Comes Home (2021)
It Was A Good Day (2022)
The Invitation (2023)
Attachment Theory (2024)
Night Crossing (2024).
Her short fiction story, "The Invitation," can be heard at ATM Storytellers via Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Simplecast.
She writes on a myriad of topics ranging from pop culture to true crime on Medium: https://medium.com/@ckingyens
