Education
Ph.D. in English, Texas Tech University, 2018
Graduate Fellowship and J.T. and Margaret Talkington Fellowship
Concentration: Creative Writing - Poetry and Creative Nonfiction
M.F.A. in Poetry, Syracuse University, 2015
University Fellowship
B.A. in English and Creative Writing, Hampshire College, 2011
Five College Certificate in Asian/Pacific/American Studies
Teaching & Research Interests
Creative writing, Asian American literature, LGBTQ literature, political poetry, lyric essay, hybrid and digital texts/poetics.
Selected Publications
Full-Length Poetry Book
When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities. BOA Editions, Ltd., Apr. 2017. (Winner of the A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize. Longlisted for the 2017 National Book Award for Poetry. Bloodaxe Books UK edition, Jun. 2019.)
Poetry Chapbooks
GESUNDHEIT! Glass Poetry Press, Oct. 2019. (Collaboration with Sam Herschel Wein.)
You MUST Use the Word Smoothie: A Craft Essay. Sundress Publications, Mar. 2019.
Kissing the Sphinx. Two of Cups Press, Mar. 2016. (Finalist for the Two of Cups Chapbook Contest.)
Set the Garden on Fire.Porkbelly Press, Sept. 2015.
Poems
2021
“The School of Eternities.” The Best American Poetry 2021. (Reprint, forthcoming fall 2021.)
“The School of a Few or a Lot of My Favorite Things.” Lantern Review. (Forthcoming fall 2021.)
“The School of Your Book / Letter to Jennifer S. Cheng,” “Fundamental Earthly Activities,” “Winter.” Cape Cod PoetryReview. (Forthcoming summer 2021.)
“i love you to the moon &.” The Academy of American Poets Poem-a-Day. (Forthcoming May 2021.)
“Summer,” “The School of the Unschoolable.” Poetry - Young People’s Poetry Issue, Mar. 2021, pp. 625-627.
“Todo lo que está cerca de ti: cinco poemas de Chen Chen. ” Este País (Mexico), Mar. 2021, https://estepais.com/cultura/literatura/todo-lo-que-esta-cerca-de-ti-cinco-poemas-de-chen-chen-en-version-de-rodrigo-cirigo/. (Translation of five of my poems into Spanish by Rodrigo Círigo.)
“Peach Compote Avalanche,” “Now More Than Ever, We Are in a Moment of Time.” Dear Poetry Journal, Feb. 2021, https://www.dearpoetryjournal.com/chenchensamherschelwein. (Collaborations with Sam Herschel Wein.)
2020
“Zombie Kindnesses.” The Map of Every Lilac Leaf: Poets Respond to the Smith College Museum of Art, Oct. 2020, pp. 35-36.
“Year’s End.” The Forward Book of Poetry 2021, Sept. 2020, p. 69. (Reprint.)
From “holiday.” Orion Magazine, Fall 2020, p. 63. Also online: https://orionmagazine.org/poetry/holiday/.
From “holiday.” The Cortland Review, Jul. 2020, https://archive.cortlandreview.com/issue/85/chen.php.
“Didier et Zizou.” Fragile Revue (France), Jun. 2020, https://fragile-revue.fr/la-lettre/didier-et-zizou-par-chen-chen/.(Translation of my poem “Didier et Zizou” into French by Shira Abramovich, Camille Blanc, and Lénaïg Cariou for Collectif Connexion Limitée / Limited Connection Collective.)
“The School of Eternities.” Ploughshares, Apr. 2020, pp. 12-16.
“Spring Summer Autumn Winter.” The Poetry Review (UK), Mar. 2020, pp. 34-35.
“a small book of questions: chapter x,” “ode to my beloveds & brevities.” The Familiar Wild: On Dogs and Poetry, Mar. 2020, pp. 29-33.
“A Queer Translates Rilke,” “Self-Portrait as a Wild Extrovert,” “Every Poem is My Most Asian Poem,” “My boyfriend & I have a crush,” “A Queer Translates Himself.” Hobart, Mar. 2020, https://www.hobartpulp.com/web_features/five-poems-61af961d-207a-42ad-8f7f-bdcfd9ec6f2c.
“I Invite My Parents to a Dinner Party.” The Slowdown, Mar. 2020, https://www.slowdownshow.org/episode/2020/03/06/335-i-invite-my-parents-to-a-dinner-party. (Reprint).
2019
“four short essays personifying a future in which white supremacy has ended.” Pushcart Prize XLIV: Best of the Small Presses, Dec. 2019, pp. 332-334. (Reprint.)
“Year’s End.” Bath Magg (UK), Dec. 2019, https://www.bathmagg.com/chenchen/.
“A Favorite Room.” Wildness – Omnibus Edition, Dec. 2019, p. 22. (Reprint.)
“The School of Logic,” “The School of Morning & Letters.” What Saves Us: Poems of Empathy and Outrage in the Age of Trump, Nov. 2019, pp. 30-33. (Reprint.)
“I Invite My Parents to a Dinner Party.” The Best American Poetry 2019, Sept. 2019, pp. 22-24.
“Origin Story,” “Study Abroad.” No Tender Fences: An Anthology of Immigrant & First-Generation American Poetry, Sept. 2019, p. 71 and pp. 100-101. (Reprint.
“When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities.” Teach This Poem (Academy of American Poets), Aug. 2019, https://poets.org/lesson-plan/teach-poem-when-i-grow-i-want-be-list-further-possibilities-chen-chen. (Reprint.)
“Hibiscus Knowledge.” Verse of April, Apr. 2019, http://www.verseofapril.com/verseofapril/2019/4/18/105-sam-chen-gambito. (Collaboration with Sam Herschel Wein.)
“En el Hospital.” Mass Live: El Pueblo Latino, Apr. 2019, https://www.masslive.com/elpueblolatino/2019/04/fomentando-el-bienestar-con-poemas-y-modelos-a-seguir.html. (Translation of my poem “In the Hospital” into Spanish by Crystal Ding.)
“First Light.” Ink Knows No Borders: Poems of the Immigrant and Refugee Experience, Mar. 2019, pp. 6-8. (Reprint.)
“Self-Portrait With & Without.” Spellbound: The Art of Teaching Poetry, Mar. 2019, pp. 40-41. (Reprint.)
2018
“Spring,” “Winter.” The Massachusetts Review - Asian American Literature special issue, Dec. 2018, pp. 649-650.
“After My White Friend Says So Cool Upon Hearing Me Speak Chinese on the Phone…,” “Items May Have Shifted.” Sine Theta Magazine, Nov. 2018, p. 5 and pp. 20-21.
“four short essays personifying a future in which white supremacy has ended,” “Summer,” “A Queer Translates the Night Sky.” Foglifter, Nov. 2018, pp. 115-119.
“& then a student stands up, says, Are you serious?” Glass Poetry - Poets Resist, 2018 Midterm Elections Special Feature, Nov. 2018, http://www.glass-poetry.com/journal/2018/november/chen-then.html.
“The School of Logic,” “The School of Joy / Letter to Michelle Lin.” West Branch, Oct. 2018, pp. 75-79. Also online: http://westbranch.blogs.bucknell.edu/chen-chen/10/2018/.
“Autumn.” The Massachusetts Review, Sept. 2018, pp. 398-399. Also online: http://www.massreview.org/sites/default/files/03_59.3Chen.pdf.
“The School of Dreams.” Sixth Finch, Jul. 2018, http://sixthfinch.com/chen1.html.
“[Be the look],” “[Be the ridiculous].” The Texas Review, Jul. 2018, pp. 89-91.
“Sorrow Song with Optimus Prime.” Brooklyn Poets, Jun. 2018, http://brooklynpoets.org/poet/chen-chen/. (Reprint.)
“INFP Ghost.” A Restricted View from Under the Hedge, Jun. 2018, p. 11. (Collaboration with Sam Herschel Wein.)
“Things the Crows Bring.” Pulse/Pulso: In Remembrance of Orlando, Jun. 2018, p. 40.
“Quantitative Reasoning.” Nepantla: An Anthology Dedicated to Queer Poets of Color, May 2018, pp. 24-25. (Reprint.)
“Origin Story.” Oxford Poetry (UK), Apr. 2018, p. 22-23.
“I Invite My Parents to a Dinner Party.” The Academy of American Poets Poem-a-Day, Apr. 19, 2018, https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/i-invite-my-parents-dinner-party.
“Study Abroad.” CityVerse in Rochester’s City Newspaper, Apr. 16, 2018, https://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/rochester/cityverse-poetry-column-debuts-with-study-abroad-by-chen-chen/Content?oid=6131367.
“Set the Garden on Fire.” Ghost Fishing: An Eco-Justice Poetry Anthology, Apr. 2018, pp. 340-341. (Reprint.)
“The School of Australia,” “Anti-Elegy: A How-To,” selection from “A Small Book of Questions.” The McNeese Review, Spring 2018, pp. 29-37.
“Les Cloches de Geneve,” “Interrupted by a Crow: a Syracuse Notebook.” A Restricted View from Under the Hedge, Mar. 2018, p. 9 and pp. 67-68.
“The School of Song,” “Elegy While Listening to a Song I Can’t Help But Start to Move to,” “One Year Later: A Letter,” “Summer.” Winter Tangerine, Jan. 2018, http://www.wintertangerine.com/lom-chen-chen-1.
2017
“Winter,” “The School of Night & Hyphens.” Tin House, Dec. 2017, pp. 33-36.
“A Favorite Room.” Bettering American Poetry Vol. 2, Dec. 2017, p. 69.
“The School of Morning & Letters,” “Summer.” The Lifted Brow (Australia), Dec. 2017, pp. 44-45.
“I am reminded via email to resubmit my preferences for the schedule.” The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2017, Oct. 2017, pp. 323-325.
“Doctor’s Note,” “The School of Red.” The Journal, Sept. 2017, pp. 21-22.
“Ode to the Parallelogram.” Come As You Are: An Anthology of Writing on 90s Pop Culture, Sept. 2017, p. 61.
“Winter.” Poetry - Asian American Poets issue, Jul./Aug. 2017, pp. 344-345. Also online: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/142861/winter.
“Blockbuster,” “The School of Fury.” City of Notions: Contemporary Boston Poems, Jul. 2017, p. 30 and pp. 90-91. (Reprint.)
“When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities.” Poems on Identity for Teachers Anthology, Jun. 2017,https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/anthology/poems-identity-teachers. (Reprint.)
“The Chateau,” “Far Corner.” APIA issue of Poemeleon, May 2017, http://chenchenwrites.com/post/160641994141/poemeleon-chen-chen.
Selections from “A Small Book of Questions.” Nat. Brut, Apr. 2017, https://www.natbrut.com/chen-chen.
“Self-Portrait as So Much Potential.” The New York Times Magazine, Mar. 2017, p. 17. Also online: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/magazine/self-portrait-as-so-much-potential.html.
“First Light.” The Academy of American Poets Poem-a-Day, Mar. 2017, https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/first-light.
“[song]” and “I’m in New York & I guess the Pope is, too.” The Mondegreen, Feb. 2017, themondegreen.org/song/ and themondegreen.org/im-new-york-guess-pope/.
2016
“how many coats does it take,” “The School of More School.” The Account: A Journal of Poetry, Prose, and Thought, Nov. 2016, theaccountmagazine.com/article/chen-how-many-coats-fall-16.
“Maybe love is a tandem bike marathon up in the Adirondacks,” “Volleyball,” “will they / won’t they / will i.” Dusie - Asian Anglophone/APIA issue, Oct. 2016, dusie.org/dusie19.pdf, pp. 38-40.
“invite the blue,” “memoir of the present moment.” Phantom, Sept. 2016, phantombooks.net/chen-chen/.
“The Psychic Speaks to the Nonbeliever.” Mass Poetry’s Poem of the Moment, Sept. 2016, www.masspoetry.org/poemofthemoment/#pomchen.
“Ode to Rereading Rimbaud in Lubbock, Texas.” Buzzfeed, Aug. 2016, www.buzzfeed.com/poetchenchen/poem-ode-to-rereading-rimbaud-in-lubbock-texas-by-chen-chen?utm_term=.akj9V6R2v#.ntBx0OoWV.
“I am reminded via email to resubmit my preferences for the schedule.” The Academy of American Poets Poem-a-Day, Jun. 27, 2016, www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/i-am-reminded-email-resubmit-my-preferences-schedule.
“In the City,” “Poem.” Indiana Review, Jun. 2016, pp. 45-49.
“The Cuckoo Cry.” Southern Indiana Review, Jun. 2016, p. 22.
“Song of the Night’s Gift,” “Nature Poem.” The Adroit Journal, May 2016, www.theadroitjournal.org/issue-sixteen-chen-chen-the-adroit-journal.
“Sitcom,” “We’ll Be Gone After These Brief Messages.” The Normal School, May 2016, p. 9 and p. 24.
“Self-Portrait as So Much Potential,” “Summer.” Gulf Coast Journal, Apr. 2016, pp. 89-91.
“Chen [No Middle Name] Chen,” “First Light,” “Kafka’s Axe & Michael’s Vest,” “Poplar Street.” Political Punch: Contemporary Poems on the Politics of Identity, Apr. 2016, pp. 57-64. (Except for the first poem, these are reprints.)
“Higher Education.” Raleigh Review, Apr. 2016, p. 32.
“I’m not a religious person but.” The Poetry Review (UK), Mar. 2016, p. 27. (Special issue featuring work that originally appeared in Poetry.)
2015
“Second Thoughts on a Winter Afternoon.” The Massachusetts Review, Dec. 2015, p. 588. Also online: massreview.org/sites/default/files/09_56.4Chen.pdf.
“for i will do/undo what was done/undone to me.” The Best American Poetry 2015, Sept. 2015, pp. 22-23. (Reprint.)
“How I Became Sagacious,” “In This Economy.” Drunken Boat, Aug. 2015, www.drunkenboat.com/db22/poetry/chen-chen.
“Kafka’s Axe & Michael’s Vest,” “Things Stuck in Other Things Where They Don’t Belong.” Narrative Northeast, Aug. 2015, www.narrativenortheast.com/?p=3528 and www.narrativenortheast.com/?p=3543.
“Chapter VIII,” “The Cat Who Wore Corn Pants.” The Margins, Jul. 2015, aaww.org/unlonely-land-chen-chen/.
Two untitled erasure poems. ATTN: July 31 2015, Jul. 2015, pp. 79-80.
“In Search of the Least Abandoned Constellation.” Crab Orchard Review, Jul. 2015, p. 57.
“I’m not a religious person but,” “Poplar Street.” Poetry, Jun. 2015, pp. 231-233. Also online: www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/
detail/58152 and www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/detail/58154.
“Elegy to Be Exhaled at Dusk.” The Pinch, Apr. 2015, p. 88. Also online: www.pinchjournal.com/http/wwwpinchjournalcom/pinchpoetry/2015/4/ 25/elegy-to-be-exhaled-at-dust-chen-chen.
“First Light.” Cutthroat: A Journal of the Arts, Apr. 2015, pp. 88-89.
“Self-Portrait With & Without.” Narrative - Poem of the Week, Feb. 2015, www.narrativemagazine.com/issues/poems-week-2014-2015/poem-week/self-portrait-without-chen-chen.
“Elegy for My Sadness,” “Song of the Anti-Sisyphus.” Breakwater Review, Feb. 2015, www.breakwaterreview.com/single-post/2016/08/24/Chen-Chen.
2014
“Antarctica.” New Delta Review, December 2014, ndrmag.org/poetry/2014/12/antarctica/.
“Little Song,” “vulpes vulpes.” Dusie - Ecopoethos Issue, Dec. 2014, www.dusie.org/ChenChen.pdf.
“Please take off your shoes before entering do not disturb,” “Both Nuclear & Extended.” DIAGRAM, Nov. 2014, thediagram.com/14_5/chen.html.
“Jerking Off to Koh Masaki,” “Necking,” “You should let yourself be more Asian, it’s cute,” “Summer Was Forever,” “You barking starship.” PANK - Queer Issue, Oct. 2014, http://pankmagazine.com/piece/5-poems-5/.
“Song with a Lyric from Allen Ginsberg.” Tupelo Quarterly, Oct. 2014, www.tupeloquarterly.com/song-with-a-lyric-from-allen-ginsberg-by-chen-chen/.
“Set the Garden on Fire.” Split This Rock - Poem of the Week, Sept. 2014, blogthisrock.blogspot.com/2014/09/poem-of-week-chen-chen.html.
“Spell to Find Family.” Nepantla: A Journal Dedicated to Queer Poets of Color, Sept. 2014, www.lambdaliterary.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/35.spelltofindfamily.pdf.
“poem,/love,” “for i will do/undo what was done/undone to me.” PANK, Aug. 2014, pankmagazine.com/piece/two-poems-105/.
Essays
“Against Universality, in Praise of Anger.” Poets & Writers: Craft Capsules, Nov. 2020, https://www.pw.org/content/craft_capsule_against_universality_in_praise_of_anger.
“On Nightmares.” Poets & Writers: Craft Capsules, Nov. 2020, https://www.pw.org/content/craft_capsule_on_nightmares.
“On Becoming a Pop Star, I Mean, a Poet.” Poets & Writers: Craft Capsules, Nov. 2020, https://www.pw.org/content/craft_capsule_on_becoming_a_pop_star_i_mean_a_poet.
“The Poems That Poets Turn to in a Time of Strife.” The New York Times, Jun. 11, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/11/books/poetry-poets-recommendations.html. (Contributor.)
“[I have a pinned note in my notes app…]” Stay Home Diary, Mar. 2020, https://bittermelon.weebly.com/stay-home-diary/24-march-2020-chen-chen.
“The Queer Syllabus: Threshold by Joseph O. Legaspi.” The Rumpus, Oct. 2018, https://therumpus.net/2018/10/the-queer-syllabus-threshold-by-joseph-o-legaspi/.
“A Tired Sadness, a Fresh Rage.” McSweeney’s (contribution to “One Small Blow Against Encroaching Totalitarianism” series), Aug. 2018, https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/a-tired-sadness-a-fresh-rage.
“I’m Not Here to Play the Suffering Minority for White Readers.” Electric Literature, Jun. 2018, https://electricliterature.com/im-not-here-to-play-the-suffering-minority-for-white-readers-b1be483f046e.
“Navigating Poetry Readings and the L.A. Food Scene: A Week in the Life of Poet Chen Chen.” Lambda Literary (contribution to “The Banal and the Profane” series), Apr. 2017, http://www.lambdaliterary.org/features/the-banal-and-the-profane/04/30/navigating-reading-in-public-and-eating-in-la-a-week-in-the-life-of-writer-chen-chen/.
“Dinner.” Salt Hill Journal, Feb. 2017, pp. 138-144.
“Limits.” Fogged Clarity, Jan. 2017, http://foggedclarity.com/article/limits/.
“28 Days Later and Other Nightmares: On What Frightens Us.” The Kenyon Review Blog, Oct. 2015, www.kenyonreview.org/2015/10/28-days-later-and-other-nightmares-on-what-frightens-us/. (Contributor.)
Stories
“Summer.” The Margins - Flash Fiction Series, Sept. 2020, https://aaww.org/summer/.
Reviews & Interviews
“Creating a World in Which Everything That Dies Is Mourned: Interview with Victoria Chang.” Electric Literature, May 25, 2020, https://electricliterature.com/victoria-chang-obit/.
“Against Empire, For Watermelon: On Nico Amador’s Flower Wars (2017).”Gabby Journal, Feb. 2018, http://www.gabbyjournal.com/chen-chen-3/.
“An Interview with Muriel Leung.” Underblong Journal, Jun. 2017, http://underblong.com/post/162294091502.
“From the Horse’s Mouth: an interview with 19.2 contributor: Jennifer S. Cheng.” Iron Horse Literary Review, National Poetry Month Issue 2017, pp. 36-37.
“ ‘Would I like for it to be a bouquet of dreams?’: Interview with Aracelis Girmay.” Iron Horse Blog, Apr. 2016, www.ironhorsereview.com/single-post/2016/04/25/would-i-like-for-it-to-be-a-bouquet-of-dreams-interview-with-aracelis-girmay.
“I Have Never Wanted to Garden, Eat Fruit, & Talk Openly About Our Shared Mortality More: On Ross Gay’s Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude(2015).” Gabby Journal, Nov. 2015, www.gabbyjournal.com/chen-chen-2/.
Selected Awards & Honors
Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships - Finalist, 2020.
Forward Prizes, Best Single Poem - Highly Commended, 2020.
Pushcart Prize, 2019.
National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Creative Writing, 2019.
Writers’ League of Texas Book Award for Poetry, 2018.
Thom Gunn Award for Gay Poetry, 2018.
Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry – Finalist, 2018.
Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) New Writers Award, 2018.
Barbara Gittings Literature Award Honor Book, Stonewall Book Awards, 2018.
Over the Rainbow Book List for LGBTQ Literature, American Library Association, 2018.
National Book Award for Poetry – Longlist, 2017.
Pushcart Prize – Honorable Mention, 2017.
A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize, 2016.
Sundress Academy for the Arts Residency/Scholarship, 2016.
Lambda Literary Emerging Writer Fellowship, 2016.
Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships – Finalist, 2015.
New Delta Review’s Matt Clark Editors’ Choice Award in Poetry, 2015.
Kundiman Fellowship, 2014.
Saltonstall Arts Colony Residency, 2014.
Teaching Experience
Brandeis University, Fall 2018-present
Poetry Workshop - Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020 (half-virtual), Fall 2020 (virtual), Spring 2021 (virtual)
In this class we study and practice a wide range of poetic forms—from the sonnet to the prose poem, the short lyric elegy to the long narrative poem incorporating research. We consider the place these forms have in contemporary poetry, the idiosyncratic approaches different poets take in writing in these forms, and where our own idiosyncrasies reside. We ask overarching questions such as, Why this form? What makes a poem sing?
Honors Project Advising - Spring 2021 (virtual)
I am advising one graduating senior’s honors project in creative writing, a chapbook-length collection of poetry. We meet weekly to discuss readings, writing prompts, and the student’s own poems.
Independent Study: Asian American poets, with special focus on Filipinx American poets - Spring 2019
For this class I worked closely with one graduating senior to explore the work of six contemporary Asian American poets, for the most part Filipinx American poets. We met weekly to discuss the readings, writing prompts, and the student’s own poems.
Nonfiction Workshop - Spring 2019
In this class we studied and practiced a wide range of creative nonfiction forms—from the personal essay to literary journalism, the lyric essay to flash nonfiction. We asked overarching questions such as, Why this form? In what ways do ethical concerns—involving memory, facts, and imagination—intersect with concerns of craft? How can essayists shift cultural and political tides
Introduction to Creative Writing - Fall 2018
In this introductory workshop, the students and I investigated three genres—fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. We experimented with particular forms in each genre and discussed the differences as well as overlaps between genres. We asked, “What is the purpose of creative writing?” and also, “Why do you write?”
New England College Low Residency MFA, Jan. 2020-present
Mentor for 1-2 students each term (online correspondence).
Stonecoast Low Residency MFA, Jan. 2020-present
Mentor for 1-2 students each term (online correspondence).
Texas Tech University, Fall 2015-Fall 2017
Introduction to Fiction - Fall 2017
In this sophomore level literature class, “Introduction to Fiction: Asian American Storytelling,” students explored work by contemporary Asian American fiction writers. A wide array of styles and genres were represented. Ethnic backgrounds also varied, allowing students to continually complicate what “Asian American literature” means. Through these particular texts, I asked students to consider the broader question of “Why do we need stories?”
Introduction to Creative Writing - Fall 2016 and Spring 2017
For this introductory creative writing workshop, I taught two genres—poetry and fiction in the fall, poetry and creative nonfiction in the spring. My primary objective was to provide engaging models and surprising approaches for students to generate, then revise their own idiosyncratic creative work. The question “Why do you write?” guides my workshop pedagogy.
Teaching Assistant in Intermediate Poetry - Spring 2016
For this upper-level workshop, I led discussion on two poetry collections I’d selected. I also participated in exploring other texts and contributed to workshop discussion of students’ poems. I worked closely with the instructor, Dr. Curtis Bauer, and my co-TA, Jessica Smith. “How can poetry change your life?” was the question that informed my TA-ship, based on Dr. Bauer’s own (on the syllabus), “Poetry Can Change Your Life?”
First-Year Writing - Fall 2015
For this course, I was the instructor of record. I facilitated all class discussions and activities. I provided feedback on all in-class writing. Working closely with members of a small grading group, I evaluated and responded to an average of ten formal assignments per week, turned in through the online system, Raider Writer. “How can writing effect personal and societal change?” was an overarching question students and I explored.
Syracuse University, Fall 2013-Spring 2014
First-Year Writing and Research Writing
In the fall, I was the instructor of record for a first-year writing course, responsible for facilitating all class discussions and evaluating all assignments. I also had several opportunities to use texts and writing exercises of my own choosing. In the spring, I was the instructor of record for a sophomore level research-based writing course and in addition to my duties in the fall, I selected the topic of inquiry (gender and sexuality in pop culture) and all the readings. “How can writing illuminate personal as well as collective concerns?” was an overarching inquiry.
Selected Retreats/Residencies/Other Workshops
Newton North High School Poetry Workshops - Feb. 25, 2021
For these three 80-minute generative workshops, I offered students fresh ways into writing about identity and culture, focusing on the power of voice and memory.
Off Campus Writers Workshop: Elegy in a Time of Pandemic - Feb. 11, 2021
For this two-hour online craft talk/generative session, I led students in a series of writing exercises designed to open up their approaches to elegy and elegiac writing, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asian American Writers Workshop, Margin Fellows virtual masterclass - Jan. 27, 2021
For this two-hour online craft talk/generative session, I walked Fellows through a series of writing exercises meant to disrupt their habitual writing practices.
Hugo House Workshop: Poetry in & of Crisis - Oct. 18, 2020
For this three-hour online craft talk/generative session, I invited students to consider how to write from/through crisis, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hudson Valley Writers Center Workshop: The Art of Telling - Oct. 4, 2020
For this four-hour online craft talk/generative session, I challenged participants to discuss and experiment with effective abstraction, delightful “telling” in poetry.
Cuttyhunk Island Writers Residency, Sept. 16 – Sept. 17, 2019
In three-hour workshops each day of the retreat, I led students in discussing their poems with an eye toward radical revision, reimagining.
Vermont College for the Arts, Postgraduate Writers’ Conference – Aug. 10-Aug. 16, 2020.
For this weeklong conference, I taught a poetry workshop for participants who have acquired advanced degrees in creative writing.
The Speakeasy Project Workshop - Jun. 24-Jul. 24, 2020
For this four-week online workshop course, I led students in discussions of their poetry and also offered a weekly lecture on relevant craft topics.
New Hampshire Poetry Festival, Sept. 14, 2019
In this hour and a half generative workshop, I led students in discussion and writing experiments involving self-portraits in poetry.
The Watering Hole Retreat, Dec. 26 – Dec. 30, 2018
In three-hour workshops each day of the retreat, I led students in writing experiments involving the intersections between love poem, political poem, and blessing.
“On Self-Portraits” for Winter Tangerine’s Summer Workshops at Poets House, Aug. 3, 2018
In this two-hour generative workshop, I invited students to consider self-portraiture in poetry as a versatile and playful approach to working with autobiographical material. The question, “Who am I and who might I be in a poem?” shaped the workshop.
“On Time and Memory” for Writers & Books’ Poetry Summer Camp, Jul. 23, 2018, Jan. 31, 2019, and Jul. 25, 2019
In this two-hour generative workshop, I welcomed students to jump through time, to create portals into memory, to rethink how a poem might move across various “time zones.” The question, “How did we get to this when?” informed our discussion.
“The Art of Telling” for Writers & Books, Jun. 4 and Jun. 11, 2018
For this two-part generative workshop, I challenged students to question the “Show, Don’t Tell” principle and examine what various forms of abstraction or “telling” can do in poetry—alongside or in some cases, instead of “showing.”
“The Art of Telling” for Sundress Academy for the Arts – Guest Workshop, May 27, 2017
For this two-hour workshop, I invited participants to discuss and experiment with effective abstraction, delightful “telling” in poetry.
Poetry Workshop at the Asperger / Autism Network (AANE) Summer Conference on Creativity, Jul. 12, 2014
In this hour and a half introductory workshop for adults on the autism spectrum, students discussed three poems by different authors and the prompts I devised, based on each poem.
Online
The Speakeasy Project Online Mentorship Program, Winter 2017, Winter 2018, Spring 2018, Summer 2018, Winter 2019, Winter 2020
For this four-week poetry program, I worked closely with six mentees of all ages. Using a syllabus template provided by the program, I followed a certain thematic trajectory, but assigned all of my own readings and writing prompts. I also gave craft lectures each week, using Zoom. “What keeps you writing?” was the primary question I returned to in this intensive program.
“Writing with Humor and Wonder”: Poetry Workshop for Catapult, Summer 2018 and Winter 2019
For this eight-week summer online course, I led students in an exploration of humor in poetry—how to balance humor with gravity and emotional complexity. Students discussed and practiced different forms of humor, from the snappy one-liner to the twisty, absurd narrative. Poetic tools such as syntax, pacing, imagery, and turns, were reinvigorated—in relation to how these tools are used in stand-up and sketch comedy. “How can the funny get us more deeply into the serious?” was the main question I circled back to with students.
First-Year Writing at Texas Tech University, Spring 2018
For this research writing course, I served as an online grader, responding to an average of sixty assignments a week and working closely with classroom instructors to ensure that the feedback addressed the specific goals of each assignment.
The Speakeasy Project - The Harbor – Guest Online Lecture, Nov. 7, 2017
For this hour-long lecture, I revisited the topic in my “The Art of Telling” workshop—exploring how to “tell” (and not just “show”) in fresh ways in poetry. This time, I gave one example for each type of abstraction, from most purely abstract to less so to abstract language strongly mixed with the concrete.
The Adroit Journal’s Online Mentorship Program, Summer 2016, Summer 2017, Summer 2018
For this seven-week poetry program, I worked closely with two young writers—two high school students. Using a syllabus template provided by the program, I followed a skill-based progression (imagery unit, lineation unit, etc.) but assigned all my own readings and many of my own writing prompts. “What is most exciting to you in poetry?” was a question my mentees and I returned to each week. (Starting summer 2018, mentors worked with only one mentee.)
Winter Tangerine’s “We Sweat Honeysuckle” Workshop for Queer Writers – Guest Online Seminar, Jul. 16, 2017
For this two-hour seminar, I revisited the topic in my “The Art of Telling” workshop—exploring how to use abstraction in unexpected and beautiful ways in poetry. This time, I drew on work all by queer poets and discussed how abstract language can be queered in politically urgent ways.
Selected Events
Invited/Featured Readings of Creative Work
Reading for the Five College Queer, Gender and Sexuality Conference, Mar. 5, 2021. (Virtual.)
The Voice of Literature Series at Newton North High School, Feb. 26, 2021. (Virtual.)
Hot Pot Lunar New Year Reading, Feb. 12, 2021. (Virtual.)
I’m Speaking: Poems to Be Heard, Jan. 10, 2021. (Virtual.)
The Adroit Journal - 10th Anniversary Reading, Nov. 21, 2020. (Virtual.)
The LOOM Poetry Reading Series, Nov. 15, 2020. (Virtual.)
“Rimbaud, Rimming, Reimagining Queer & Asian.” Reading/talk for the New Masculinities Festival, Nov. 14, 2020. (Virtual.)
Reading at Northwestern State University of Louisiana, Oct. 22, 2020. (Virtual.)
Meijer Visiting Writers Series Reading at Central Michigan University, Oct. 21, 2020. (Virtual.)
Ploughshares - Celebration of Spring and Summer 2020 Issues Reading, Oct. 15, 2020. (Virtual.)
Reading for “Speak Yo Truth” LGBTQ History Month event at California State University, Fullerton, Oct. 2, 2020. (Virtual.)
The Poetry Project - No Day Unless I'm Part of It: A Pride Poetry Reading, Jun. 30, 2020. (Virtual.)
“Poets and Poetry.” Panel for Quarantine and Me, a queer Asian series of events for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month + Pride Month, May 31, 2020. (Virtual; with Muriel Leung and Jonathan Crisman.)
“Queering the Hyphen: an LGBTQ+ Asian American Reading.” For Books Are Magic Bookstore, May 29, 2020. (Virtual; with Arhm Choi Wild, Mary Jean Chan, Margaret Rhee, and Yanyi.)
Transnational Lit Series Reading, Apr. 24, 2020. (Virtual; with George Abraham, Omar Sakr, and moira j.)
KGB Emerging Writers Series (Organized by the graduate creative writing program at NYU), Apr. 19, 2020. (Virtual.)
Reading for Poets House’s Winter Gala, Feb. 24, 2020. (With Mark Doty, Dorianne Laux, and Patricia Smith.)
Visiting Writer at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Montpelier, VT, Jan. 4-5, 2020.
Readings + panel for the Verb Wellington Festival. Wellington, NZ, Nov. 7-10, 2019.
Cavanaugh Reading Series at St. John Fisher College. Rochester, NY, Oct. 24, 2019.
University of Liverpool / Centre for New and International Writing Reading Series. Liverpool, UK, Oct. 21, 2019.
Reading for Poetry International Festival. London, UK, Oct. 20, 2019.
Reading for Old Dominion University Literary Festival. Norfolk, VA, Oct. 9, 2019.
Reading for New Hampshire Poetry Festival. Henniker, NH, Sept. 14, 2019.
Pegasus Reading Series. Dallas, TX, Aug. 23, 2019.
Ruth Stone Foundation Reading Series. Winooski, VT, Aug. 17, 2019.
Genesee Reading Series. Rochester, NY, Aug. 13, 2019.
New York City Poetry Festival, headline reader. New York, NY, Jul. 28, 2019.
Guest speaker for the Great Books Summer Program at Amherst College. Amherst, MA, Jul. 2, 2019.
Reading for Sleepy Hollow Literary Festival. Sleepy Hollow, NY, May 18, 2019.
The Poetry Project reading series. New York, NY, May 1, 2019.
Reading + panel for New Orleans Poetry Festival. New Orleans, LA, Apr. 18-21, 2019.
Reading + panel for the In Print Festival of First Books at Ball State University. Muncie, Mar. 20-21, 2019.
Reading at the Poetry Center at Smith College. Northampton, MA, Feb. 19, 2019.
Poetry Foundation Reading Series. Chicago, IL, Nov. 29, 2018.
Colby College - Stahl Writer-in-Residence. Waterville, ME, Nov. 7-8, 2018.
Distinguished Voices in Literature Series at SUNY Cortland. Cortland, NY, Oct. 30, 2018.
College of the Holy Cross Working Writers Series. Worcester, MA, Oct. 25, 2018.
Poetry Society of South Carolina Reading and Craft Seminar. Charleston, SC, Oct. 12-13, 2018.
Brandeis University reading - as the new Jacob Ziskind Poet-in-Residence. Waltham, MA, Sept. 25, 2018.
Lubbock Writers Resist Reading. Lubbock, TX, Apr. 18, 2017.
University of Richmond Poetry Festival. Richmond, VA, Apr. 4-5, 2017.
Mass Poetry’s U35 (Writers under thirty-five) Series. Boston, MA, Sept. 22, 2015.
Lunchtime Poems Reading Series, sponsored by the Dodge Poetry Foundation. Newark, NJ, Jul. 2015.
Favorite Poem Project / Kundiman event celebrating AAPI Heritage Month, at Boston University. Boston, MA, May 30, 2015.
Class Visits
(Note: GLCA New Writers Award Visits consisted of class visits, readings, and sometimes workshop teaching or one-on-one meetings with creative writing students.)
Dr. Sumita Chakraborty’s MFA Thesis Workshop at the University of Michigan, Mar. 30, 2021. (Virtual.)
Instructor Carly Joy Miller’s “Time and Timelessness” graduate poetry class for The Writer’s Foundry at St. Joseph’s College, Mar. 4, 2021. (Virtual.)
Dr. Becky Thompson’s Boston Writers class at Simmons University, Dec. 9, 2020. (Virtual.)
Professor Jeffrey Bean’s undergraduate poetry class at Central Michigan University, Sept. 16, 2020. (Virtual.)
Oberlin College: GLCA New Writers Award Visit. Oberlin, OH, Apr. 25, 2019.
Kenyon College: GLCA New Writers Award Visit. Gambier, OH, Apr. 24, 2019.
Reading + panel for Clemson Literary Festival at Clemson University. Clemson, SC, Apr. 11, 2019.
DePauw University: GLCA New Writers Award Visit. Greencastle, IN, Apr. 10, 2019.
Class visit + reading at Framingham State University. Framingham, MA, Apr. 4, 2019.
Wabash College: GLCA New Writers Award Visit. Crawfordsville, IN, Mar. 20, 2019.
Class visit to Lexington High + reading at Lexington Community Education. Lexington, MA, Mar. 12, 2019.
Hope College: GLCA New Writers Award Visit. Holland, MI, Mar. 7, 2019.
Class visit to Dr. Jane Wong’s graduate poetry seminar at Western Washington University, Feb. 28, 2019.
Albion College: GLCA New Writers Award Visit. Albion, MI, Feb. 14, 2019.
Earlham College – GLCA New Writers Award visit. Richmond, IN, Oct. 18, 2018.
Denison University – GLCA New Writers Award visit. Granville, OH, Oct. 16-17, 2018.
Invited Events – Moderator
Brandeis University Creative Writing Reading Series - Lynn Emanuel, Mar. 10, 2021. (Provided introduction and facilitated discussion with opening questions and follow-up questions during the Q&A.)
Invited Panels – Member
Anti-Asian Racism and Creating Safety in our Communities. Brandeis University Community Discussion, Mar. 18, 2021. Organized by the Brandeis Asian American Student Association. (Virtual; faculty facilitator.)
Sarah Lawrence College Colloquium Series: Chen Chen and Muriel Leung on the topic of poets on social media, Dec. 9, 2020. (Virtual.)
“Identity as an Engine for Poetry.” Brandeis University Critical Conversations, Oct. 7, 2020. (Virtual; with Professors Elizabeth Bradfield and Yuri Doolan.)
“Why We Write.” Panel for the Writers’ League of Texas Unconference, Jun. 28, 2020. (Virtual; with Elizabeth McCracken and Katy Valentine.)
“The Language of Literature: Reflecting Inward and Reaching Outward.” Panel on the importance of literary magazines. Laurel Moon Literary Magazine at Brandeis University. Waltham, MA, Nov. 21, 2019.
“The 1980s to Now: Chen Chen and Rebecca Makkai.” Panel discussion for The National Book Foundation Presents: Summer with the National Book Awards, Aug. 8, 2019. (With Joseph O. Legaspi moderating.)
“APAHM Writing Panel featuring Min Jin Lee and Professor Chen Chen.” Brandeis Asian American Students Association. Waltham, MA, Apr. 13, 2019. (With Professor Harleen Singh moderating.)
Accepted Presentations of Academic Work
“Digital Intimacy, Platform, Diaspora: Asian American Literary Politics in the Online Forum.” Futures of American Studies Institute, Dartmouth College. Hanover, NH, Jun. 2016.
“Planetary Time, Skeletal Time: Rereading the Epigraph.” 48thAnnual Comparative Literature Symposium, Texas Tech University. Lubbock, TX, Apr. 2016.
Accepted Panels/Workshops/Readings - Organizer & Moderator
“To Play is To Collaborate is To Queer: A Workshop.” Massachusetts Poetry Festival, May 15, 2021. (Virtual.)
“To Play is To Collaborate is To Queer: A Workshop.” New Orleans Poetry Festival, Apr. 22, 2021. (Virtual.)
Workshop on self-portraits. The Muse and the Marketplace. Boston, MA, Apr. 3, 2020. (Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic.)
“A Queer Feast: Fruit, Documents, Possibilities” (Group reading). Split This Rock Poetry Festival. Washington, DC, Mar. 27, 2020. (Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic.)
“Labor & Delivery: Emerging Poets on Notions of Literary Success.” Massachusetts Poetry Festival. Salem, MA, May 5, 2018.
“It Glows Each Evening: Exploring Representations of Public and Private Violence.” Online roundtable discussion at Sundress Publications, Jan. 2017.
“Bone by Bone: Rewriting the Body.” Massachusetts Poetry Festival. Salem, MA, Apr. 29, 2016.
Accepted Panels/Workshops/Readings - Member
“Aftermath: Teaching in the Age of After Poems.” AWP panel, Mar. 4, 2021. (Virtual; with Jennifer Moore, Claudia Cortese, Roy G. Guzmán, and Diane Goettel.)
One Page Salon, hosted by the Writers’ League of Texas. AWP off-site event. San Antonio, TX, Mar. 2020. (Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic.)
“Gender and Voice in Experimental Poetics.” New Orleans Poetry Festival. New Orleans, LA, Apr. 19, 2019. (With Steve Bellin-Oka and Anna De Vaul.)
Foglifter Press - Queer Syllabus reading. AWP off-site event. Portland, OR, Mar. 30, 2019.
Platypus Press / wildness reading. AWP off-site event. Portland, OR, Mar. 28, 2019.
Sundress Publications authors reading. AWP off-site event. Portland, OR, Mar. 28, 2019.
“On Collections.” NonfictioNOW Conference. Phoenix, AZ, Nov. 1, 2018. (With Sarah Viren, Elissa Washuta, Angela Morales, and Venita Blackburn.)
“Is the Poet the New Public Intellectual? Today’s Poet-Critics on Criticism and Critique” at Poets House. Brooklyn Book Festival. New York, NY, Sept. 14, 2018. (With Tess Taylor, Craig Morgan Teicher, Greg Pardlo, Stephanie Burt, and Meghan O’Rourke.)
“Poetics of Self [Re/De] Construction: Monsters, Chimeras & Humachines.” Lambda LitFest. Los Angeles, CA, Mar. 12, 2017. (With Muriel Leung, Ching-In Chen, Belinda Bellinger, Vickie Vertiz, Melissa Sipin, Angela Penaredondo, Michelle Lin, Margaret Rhee, and Vanessa Angelica Villarreal.)
“House of Godzilla, Rare Birds & Further Possibilities: Debut Collections by Queer APIA Poets.” Lambda LitFest. Los Angeles, CA, Mar. 10, 2017. (With Kazumi Chin, Michelle Lin, and Shelley Wong.)
“In Bloom: A reading from new books by Kundiman writers.” AWP off-site event. Washington, DC, Feb. 11, 2017.
“Kick-Ass Writers & Teaching Artists.” AWP off-site event. Washington, DC, Feb. 10, 2017.
“The Magnificent Seven: A Reading Hosted by Pleiades, Agni, American Literary Review, Boulevard, Cream City Review, Gulf Coast, and PoemoftheWeek.org.” Featured reader for Gulf Coast at AWP off-site event. Washington, DC, Feb. 9, 2017.
“Bois in Color.” Split This Rock Poetry Festival. Washington, DC, Apr. 15, 2016. (With Danez Smith, Hieu Minh Nguyen, and Cameron Awkward-Rich.)
Sundress Publications’ Political Punch anthology launch. AWP off-site event. Los Angeles, CA, Mar. 31, 2016.
“The Poetics of Construction.” Massachusetts Poetry Festival. Salem, MA, May 2, 2015.
“Beyond Orange: Queer Voices from the Creative Writing Program of Syracuse University.” AWP off-site event. Minneapolis, MN, Apr. 10, 2015.
New Delta Review/LSU Celebration. AWP event. Minneapolis, MN, Apr. 9, 2015.
“Kundiman: Asian American Voices.” Dodge Poetry Festival. Newark, NJ, Oct. 25, 2014.
“From Fort Worth to Syracuse to Paris.” Writing by Degrees Conference at Binghamton University. Binghamton, NY, Mar. 15, 2014.
Selected Editing & Judging Experience
Cofounder and Co-Editor-in-Chief, Underblong Journal, 2016-present.
Ghost Peach Press Prize in Poetry, 2021.
Poetry Out Loud Western Massachusetts Regional, Feb. 17, 2021.
National Endowment for the Arts - Selection Jury for Poetry Fellowships, 2020.
Lambda Literary - Judith Markowitz Award for Emerging LGBTQ Writers, 2019.
Redivider Beacon Street Prize in Poetry, 2020.
Poetry Society of America - Student Poetry Award, 2020.
Split This Lip Poetry Contest, 2019.
Driftwood Press Poetry Chapbook Contest, 2019.
Framingham State University - Marjorie Sparrow Poetry Award, 2019.
SUNY Cortland - Undergraduate Poetry Contest, 2019.
Gulf Coast Prize in Poetry, 2018.
New Delta Review Chapbook Contest, 2018.
Ohio State University - Mayre Lynn Cummings Poetry Prize and Academy of American Poets Prize, 2018.
Old Dominion University - College Poetry Prize, 2018.
Brandeis University - Ramon Feliciano Poetry Prize (Academy of American Poets), 2018.
Saltonstall Arts Colony Jury for Poetry Residencies, 2018.
Managing Editor, Iron Horse Literary Review, 2015-2017.
Poetry Out Loud Boston semi-finals, March 5, 2016.
Affiliations
AWP member, 2012-present.
Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts (LHUCA) Literary Showcase: Advisory Board, 2015-2017.
Lubbock Writers Resist member, 2017-2018.
Raider Pride: LGBTQIA Reading Group member, Fall 2017.
Kundiman Northeast Regional Co-chair, 2015.