Though universal in appeal, McKinstry-Brown’s work is also wrapped in the best kind of feminine viewpoint—smart and sensual, with warmth and wit...
— “Voices of Independence: Four regional poets worth celebrating and learning from.” She Magazine

POET

This Bright Darkness, available from Black Lawrence Press, Jan. 19

This Bright Darkness, available from Black Lawrence Press, Jan. 19

 

Teacher

 


About

My DNA was formed in New Mexico. 

Originally from Albuquerque (where we put green chile on everything and are gifted each day with technicolor sunsets), I hold an Academy of American Poets Prize, three Nebraska book awards, and an MFA in Poetry along with an MA with a Composition and Rhetoric focus.

My creative origins are in slam poetry.

It was the informal education I gained while attending poetry readings at coffeehouses, bars, and libraries in Albuquerque that fueled my desire to be part of a larger writing community. Having found my way to poetry through spoken word, I have always considered collaboration and community to be an integral part of my creative identity.

My inspiration resides in a house in Omaha.  

I live in Omaha with my husband, State Poet Matt Mason, and our two children.