Michele Karas is a poet, writer, and editor from East County, San Diego. Her poems have appeared in Mid-American Review, Northern Virginia Review, Alaska Quarterly Review, Thrush, The Citron Review, and elsewhere. She is a poetry contributor to the Community of Writers and has received support from the New York Public Library, Southampton Writers Conference, and Slice Literary Writers’ Conference, where she was twice awarded the Bridging the Gap Nonfiction Prize.
Michele holds an MFA in creative writing from CUNY: The City College of New York and a degree in journalism & advertising from San Diego State University. A former actor and 15-year veteran of the book publishing world, she has written 360 marketing campaigns for such bestselling authors as Min Jin Lee, Donna Tartt, David Foster Wallace, David Sedaris, and Malcolm Gladwell. Michele currently serves as poetry editor for the online literary journal The Night Heron Barks and works as a messaging and content strategist for a global television network.
Awards & Honors
Finalist, Cutthroat Poetry Prize (2020),
Judged by Carolyn Forché
Single poem: “Birdwatching in the Radiology Unit of Perlmutter Cancer Center”
Finalist, 92Y Rachel Wetzsteon Poetry Prize (2019),
selected by Shara Lessley
Single poem: “Fix”
Finalist, Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize (2018)
Ruminate magazine, judged by Ilya Kaminsky
Single poem: “Portable Saint Cento”
Acceptance, Sewanee Writers’ Conference (2018)
(Attendance postponed)
Acceptance, Community of Writers (2017)
Winner, The Jerome Lowell Dejur Award in Poetry (2016)
The City College English Department Award
Poetry thesis: “The Universe is Made of Small Dead Things”
Finalist, Scotti Merrill Memorial Award (2016),
Key West Literary Seminar, selected by Billy Collins
Selection of poems
Scholarship, SUNY Southampton Writers Conference (2015)
Workshop with Vijay Seshadri (2015)
Scholarship, Slice Literary Conference (2015)
Winner, “Bridging the Gap” Nonfiction Award. (2015)
(Slice Literary Conference), judged by Folio Literary Management
Essay: “Daddy-Daughter Pas De Deux”
Scholarship, Slice Literary Conference (2014)
Winner, “Bridging the Gap” Nonfiction Award (2014)
(Slice Literary Conference)
Essay: “Runaway Boy”
Winner, The Stark Poetry Award in Memory of Raymond Patterson
The City College English Department Award (2014)
Poems: “My Sister & I” and Others