Marcy Rae Henry

Poet, Fiction Writer, Creative Nonfiction Writer

Chicago, IL
Illinois US

Author's Bio

Marcy Rae Henry is a Latina/e born and raised in Mexican-America/The Borderlands.  While on deferment from Columbia Law School she lived in Europe, where she took classes at la Universidad de Granada, and Asia, where she earned certification for Ancient Thai Massage in Kathmandu, Nepal.  After riding a motorcycle through Greece, Turkey, Syria and Jordan (at times presenting as a boy), she volunteered for Middle East Peace Process activities in Israel/Palestine.  She has studied Buddhism in centers from Bodhi Manda Zen Center in Jemez, New Mexico to Chanmyay Yeiktha in Rangoon, Burma (Myanmar), The November Retreat at Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal and El Centro de Meditación de Vilcabamba, Ecuador.  In India, where she lived for a couple of years, she studied at the Tushita Meditation Centre and received teachings and initiations from His Holiness, The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. M.R. Henry teaches at Wright College Chicago, a Hispanic Serving Institution, where she serves as Coordinator of the Latin American Latino/x Studies Program and received Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s 2023-2024 Outstanding Educator Award.  She has participated in multidisciplinary events, experiments, conferences and festivals across the U.S. and Asia. Her visual art appears in Waxwing, Arkana, The William & Mary Review, Mom Egg Review, Cauldron Anthology and Thimble Magazine.

Publications & Prizes

Creative Nonfiction

Journals: ,
Brooklyn Review
,
Closed Eye Open
,
Damaged Goods
,
Shanghai Literary Review
,
Wild Roof Journal

Fiction

Journals: , , ,
Mediterranean Poetry
,
Muleskinner Journal
,
New Mexico Review
,
Pank
,
The Wild Word

Poetry

Anthologies:
Best New Poets (Meridian, 2023)
,
Food for thought (South Broadway Press, 2021)
,
Selena Anthology (FlowerSong Press, 2021)
Chapbooks:
We are Primary Colors (Special Edition) (Doublecross Press, 2024)
,
We are Primary Colors (Doublecross Press, 2023)
Journals:
*82 Review
, ,
BathHouse Hypermedia Journal
,
Black Coffee Review
, ,
Cathexis Northwest Press
,
Channel
, , ,
Contemporary Verse 2
,
Damaged Goods
,
Dewdrop
, ,
Guesthouse
,
Hobart
,
Manzano Mountain Review
, , ,
Newcity
,
One Art
, , , ,
Panoply
,
Pilgrimage
, ,
Rhino Magazine
,
Rise Up Review
,
Rogue Agent
, , ,
South Broadway Ghost Society
, ,
Sundog Lit
, , , , ,
World Haiku Review
,
Writers Resist
Prizes won: 

Marcy Rae's poetry collection death is a mariachi won the 2024 May Sarton NH Poetry Prize and will be published in 2025.  Her chapbook dream life of night owls won the 2023 Open Country Chapbook Prize and will be published in 2024, along with two other chaps: the body is where it all begins (Querencia Press) and red delicious (dancing girl press).  Her poetry has received a Pushcart Prize nomination, was a finalist in River Styx's International Poetry Contest, Puerto del Sol's Annual Poetry Contest, and Marsh Hawk's Poetry Awards.  It is featured in the 2023 Best New Poets anthology in addition to being longlisted for the Disquiet Literary Prize and receiving Honorable Mention in the New Millennium Writing Awards. Her fiction received 1st place in Suburbia's 2021 Novel Excerpt Contest and was selected as a finalist in Black Lawrence Press' Black River Chapbook Competition, a semi-finalist in the American Short(er) Fiction Contest and longlisted for the Irish Fish Flash Fiction Contest. Her nonfiction was chosen as a semi-finalist in Black Lawrence Press' Black River Chapbook Competition and shortlisted for Fish’s Memoir Prize. 

Other awards include an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship and a City of Chicago Community Arts Assistance Grant.  Residencies include Arte Studio Ginestrelle in Assisi, Italy and The Chicago Cultural Center.

 

 

 

 

More Information

Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
Yes
Identifies as: 
Latino/Latina/Latinx, LGBTQ
Fluent in: 
Spanish
Born in: 
Pueblo, CO
Colorado
Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.
Last update: Sep 19, 2024