Mary A. Koncel was born and raised in Chicago, IL. After graduating from Columbia College in Chicago, IL with a BFA in Poetry, she headed east and received her MFA in English from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. A long-time devotee of the prose poem, her work has appeared in a variety of journals, including Kayak, The Massachusetts Review, Denver Quarterly, The Journal, Sycamore Review, The Prose Poem: An International Journal, and several anthologies, such as The Party Train: A Collection of North American Prose Poetry, The Best of the Prose Poem: An International Journal, and Real Things: An Anthology of Popular Culture in American Poetry. In 1999, Quale Press published her chapbook, Closer to Day. Although she is now gainfully employed as a writing instructor at Smith College and writing consultant for human service organizations, numerous odd jobs in the past, including hot walker, indoor plant consultant, and journalist, have greatly influenced her poetry. She lives in Worthington, MA, with her husband and many animals, small and large. Besides writing prose poetry and essays, she is an avid dressage rider.

Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship

Pushcart Prize Nominee