Acclaimed Poet Karla Kelsey Takes Center Stage as Diann Blakely Visiting Poet
Renowned for her unique blend of lyricism with philosophical and historical insights, Karla Kelsey takes on the role of the 2025-2026 Diann Blakely Visiting Poet. Her visit to Athens, scheduled between November 11-12, 2025, marked a series of engaging events as part of the Blakely Program. As spring approaches, Kelsey is set to evaluate submissions for the 2025-2026 Diann Blakely National Poetry Competition for Emerging Poets.
Kelsey’s literary repertoire is both impressive and diverse. Her poetry collections, such as On Certainty (Omnidawn, 2023) and Blood Feather (Tupelo Press, 2020), showcase her distinctive voice. Her earlier works, including A Conjoined Book (Omnidawn, 2014) and Iteration Nets (Ahsahta, 2010), further cement her status in the literary community. Notably, her book Knowledge, Forms, the Aviary (Ahsahta, 2006) was selected by esteemed poet Carolyn Forché for the Sawtooth Poetry Prize. Kelsey’s exploration into experimental essays is highlighted by her book Of Sphere, chosen by Carla Harryman for the 2016 Essay Press Prize and published in 2017.
Beyond poetry, Kelsey has contributed as an editor for Lost Writings: Two Novels by Mina Loy, released by Yale University Press in 2024. Her innovative approach continues with the recent release of her poet’s novel, Transcendental Factory: For Mina Loy, from Winter Editions.
Matthew Moore, a doctoral candidate in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Georgia, conducted an insightful interview with Kelsey. An excerpt of this conversation was featured on Morning Edition on November 18th. To delve deeper into their discussion, listen to the full interview above.
