I’ve published three books, and my fourth book is forthcoming. Several others are still in-progress.
My first collection of poetry, Hollow Out, was selected by former US Poet Laureate as winner of the Many Voices Project from New Rivers Press.
How to Write Poetry: A Guided Journal with Prompts, published in 2020, is a tool to nurture creativity and deepen understanding of the craft of poetry, with prompts to fuel an intuitive understanding of language & craft. Co-written with Christopher Salerno, this book provides context and inspiration while helping you cultivate your own voice.
The Walrus Wives, a chapbook of poetry, was published by Dancing Girl Press.
A new full-length collection of poetry, North Wife is forthcoming in 2028. It was a semi-finalist for the 2026 Perugia Press Prize.
I’ve received grants, fellowships & residencies from the Virginia Center for Creative Arts, the Santa Fe Art Institute & the Constance Saltonstall Foundation in New York. I was a finalist for the prestigious Ruth Lilly Fellowship in poetry.
Praise for my writing
“These are the dark night of the soul of poems, beautifully written, supremely intelligent and consistently rewarding. Kelsea Habecker’s poems remind us that the outer and inner landscapes are connected and that the way we think about the world depends on the amount of light and darkness we are given each day. Hollow Out is one of the most moving and original books of poems I have read in years.”
-Charles Simic, U.S. Poet Laureate (2007-2008)
“The lyric voice in Kelsea Habecker’s Hollow Out is almost hypnotically lovely. Her poems are so cleanly written! They are also grave, soulful, and infinitely tender. Other hallmarks include their passionate restraint, beacon-like humility, great delicacy of expression, and spirit of endurance—this last despite the arctic darkness many of them so beautifully reveal, but never succumb to.”
-Amy Gerstler, author of Dearest Creature, Scattered at Sea, and Ghost Girl
Creating to heal
In addition to being a writer, teacher & coach, I am also a trauma-informed, certified Grief & Bereavement Specialist and am trained in contemplative practice & mindfulness techniques. I use writing and intuitive art-making to help process grief & loss in ways that allow for healing and integration as well as building courage & resilience.