Maria McLeod

Poet, Fiction Writer, Creative Nonfiction Writer

Bellingham, WA
Washington US
Twitter/X: 

Author's Bio

Maria McLeod publishes poetry, fiction, monologues and plays, three of which have been performed on stage. She has performed as part of the following reading series and/or at these venues,: Orcas Island Lit Fest in Washington state; Public Pool, Hamtramck, Mich.; Poet as Art, Lucia Douglass Gallery, Bellingham, Wash.; Poetry Night, Bellingham, Wash.; Parkplace Books, Kirkland; Pittsburgh City Theatre; the Ceres Gallery in New York City; and the Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh. She received her MFA in poetry from the University of Pittsburgh in 1995. Originally from the Detroit area, she lives in Bellingham, Washington, where she serves as an associate professor of journalism for Western Washington University. (photo credit - Cheryl Crooks)

Writers Retreats: 

Publications & Prizes

Creative Nonfiction

Journals:
Clackamas Literary Review
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South 85 Journal
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Thirteen Bridges Review

Fiction

Journals:
Anodyne Magazine
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Fabulist
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Miniskirt Magazine
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Miracle Monocle
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Okay Donkey
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Quarter After Eight

Poetry

Chapbook:
Skin. Hair. Bones. (Finishing Line Press, 2022)
Journals:
13th Moon
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99 Pine Street
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Anodyne Magazine
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Cathexis Northwest Press
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Cirque
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Crab Orchard Review
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Critical Quarterly
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FERAL: A Journal of Poetry & Art
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Floating Bridge Review
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Halfway Down the Stairs
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Lindenwood Review
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Pearl Magazine
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PMS: poemmemoirstory
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Puerto del Sol
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West Review
Prizes won: 

The international Fish Poetry Prize 2026, second place, judged by Billy Collins, U.S. Poet Laureate 2001-03; WaterSedge Poetry Chapbook Contest Winner 2020, judged by Kim Stafford, Oregon State Poet Laureate 2018-20 ; Indiana Review Poetry Prize, 1st Place, judged by Denise Duhamel; Quarter After Eight Robert J DeMott Short Prose Prize, 1st place, judged by Thisbe Nissen; six Pushcart Prize nominations; one Best of the Net nomination; Spoken Word, 1st Place, Lollapalooza Star Lake Amphitheatre; Sow's Ear Chapbook Contest, second place; Honorable Mention, Academy of American Pen Women.

More Information

Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
Yes
Identifies as: 
White
Prefers to work with: 
Any
Fluent in: 
English
Born in: 
MI
Michigan
Raised in: 
MI
Michigan
Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.
Last update: Jun 11, 2026