Karyna McGlynn
Encyclopedia
Karyna McGlynn is an American
poet
.
She is a poet and critic associated with spoken-word, New Sincerity
, and New Confessionalism.
Karyna first became popular as a performance poet in the poetry slam scene in the late 1990s, regularly performing at the Electric Lounge and South by Southwest
. She was a member of the 1998 and 1999 National Poetry Slam
teams representing the Austin Poetry Slam
. Two of her signature pieces from that time ("Fat Artists" and "Thong Underwear Poem") are included on the compilation CD Tina's Fine-Ass Lingerie.
In 2000, Karyna moved to Seattle
to study musical theatre
at Cornish College of the Arts
. In 2002, she coached the Seattle poetry slam team to a spot on the NPS finals stage. She was a Seattle team member in 2003 and an Ann Arbor team member in 2007. Her spoken-word is featured in Rhapsodists, a documentary film about women performance poets.
Karyna graduated from the creative writing program at Seattle University
and received her MFA
from the University of Michigan
where she received the Cornwell Fellowship in Poetry, the Moveen Residency in Ireland, and the Hopwood Award
in Poetry. Upon graduation she was selected by Tony Hoagland
as a Helen Zell Postgraduate Fellow in Poetry at the University of Michigan.
Her first book, I Have to Go Back to 1994 and Kill a Girl, received the Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry and will be published by Sarabande Books
in 2009. Karyna is also the author of three chapbooks, Scorpionica (New Michigan Press, 2007), Alabama Steve (Destructible Heart Press, 2008), and Small Shrines (Cinematheque Press, 2011).
Her work has appeared in many journals, both in print and online, including Gulf Coast, FENCE, Ninth Letter, LIT, Another Chicago Magazine, Indiana Review, Denver Quarterly, Octopus, Willow Springs and Verse.
She taught writing and literature at Concordia University in Austin, TX, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate and Teaching Fellow in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
.
She is a poet and critic associated with spoken-word, New Sincerity
New Sincerity
New sincerity is a term that has been used in music, aesthetics, film criticism, poetry, literary criticism and philosophy, generally to describe art or concepts that run against prevailing modes of postmodernist irony or cynicism.-New sincerity in music:...
, and New Confessionalism.
Karyna first became popular as a performance poet in the poetry slam scene in the late 1990s, regularly performing at the Electric Lounge and South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
. She was a member of the 1998 and 1999 National Poetry Slam
National Poetry Slam
The National Poetry Slam is a performance poetry competition where teams from across the United States, Canada, and France participate in a large-scale poetry slam. The event occurs in early August every year and takes place in a different US city....
teams representing the Austin Poetry Slam
Austin Poetry Slam
The Austin Poetry Slam is one of the longest running poetry venues in Texas. Founded in 1994 by Wammo of the Asylum Street Spankers and helmed for 15 years by former Poetry Slam, Inc. president, Mike Henry, Austin Slam is renowned for memorable and often raucous performances by many of the best...
. Two of her signature pieces from that time ("Fat Artists" and "Thong Underwear Poem") are included on the compilation CD Tina's Fine-Ass Lingerie.
In 2000, Karyna moved to Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
to study musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
at Cornish College of the Arts
Cornish College of the Arts
-Library:The library at Cornish College specializes in art, dance, design, music, performance production, and theatre. As of 2011 it holds 4700 CDs, 40,000 books, has 2,200 videos, and subscribes to 154 periodicals...
. In 2002, she coached the Seattle poetry slam team to a spot on the NPS finals stage. She was a Seattle team member in 2003 and an Ann Arbor team member in 2007. Her spoken-word is featured in Rhapsodists, a documentary film about women performance poets.
Karyna graduated from the creative writing program at Seattle University
Seattle University
Seattle University is a Jesuit Catholic university located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member...
and received her MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
where she received the Cornwell Fellowship in Poetry, the Moveen Residency in Ireland, and the Hopwood Award
Hopwood Award
The Hopwood Awards are a major scholarship program at the University of Michigan, founded by Avery Hopwood.Under the terms of the will of Avery Hopwood, a prominent American dramatist and member of the Class of 1905 of The University of Michigan, one-fifth of Mr. Hopwood's estate was given to the...
in Poetry. Upon graduation she was selected by Tony Hoagland
Tony Hoagland
Anthony Dey Hoagland is an American poet and writer. His poetry collection 2003, What Narcissism Means to Me, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Other honors include two grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a 2000 Guggenheim Fellowship in Poetry, and a...
as a Helen Zell Postgraduate Fellow in Poetry at the University of Michigan.
Her first book, I Have to Go Back to 1994 and Kill a Girl, received the Kathryn A. Morton Prize in Poetry and will be published by Sarabande Books
Sarabande Books
Sarabande Books is an American not-for-profit literary press founded in 1994, and located in Louisville, Kentucky, publishing poetry, fiction and nonfiction.The press was co-founded by Sarah Gorham and Jeffrey Skinner...
in 2009. Karyna is also the author of three chapbooks, Scorpionica (New Michigan Press, 2007), Alabama Steve (Destructible Heart Press, 2008), and Small Shrines (Cinematheque Press, 2011).
Her work has appeared in many journals, both in print and online, including Gulf Coast, FENCE, Ninth Letter, LIT, Another Chicago Magazine, Indiana Review, Denver Quarterly, Octopus, Willow Springs and Verse.
She taught writing and literature at Concordia University in Austin, TX, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate and Teaching Fellow in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston.