Kelly Cass Falzone

Poet

NASHVILLE, TN
Tennessee US

Author's Bio

          Poet, artist, counselor, and educator Kelly Cass Falzone, MFA, MSEd, has been awarded prizes and recognition from the Tennessee Writers Alliance, the Knoxville and Chattanooga Writers' Guilds, the Berry College Emerging Southern Women Writers Competition, and The Porch Prize in Poetry, as well as earned two Pushcart Prize nominations, and First Prize in both The Bea Gonzales Prize for Poetry and The Davis Kidd Award in Poetry. Her poems have been anthologized in Low Explosions: Writings on the Body and Essential Love, and appear in journals including Stone Canoe; Good River Review Blog, Clackamas Literary Review; Cumberland Poetry Review; Literary Accents; Nashville Arts Magazine; First Class; and Poets On; among others.

          A paper and book artist, Kelly has additionally exhibited work in juried and group shows at the Marnie Sheridan Gallery; the Nashville Downtown Public Library Gallery; Watkins School of Film, Art, & Design; the Global Education Center; Art & Soul Nashville; and Huff Gallery in Louisville, Kentucky. The Nashville Scene named “Paper Thread and Trash: 13 Book Artists Working with Reuse Materials” (of which her work was a part) the “Best Art Exhibition Award” of 2015. Kelly's also collaborated with Nashville theatre organizations such as Southern Word, Green Room Projects, and Actor’s Bridge Ensemble, to produce works for the stage. A series she worked on for Southern Word entitled “Nashville Now: Literary Census” was recognized with the “Spoken Word Trailblazer Award” from Soul Food Poetry Café in 2010.

          Born in the Bronx and raised in Rochester, NY, Kelly earned her BA in English and her MSEd in Counselor Education at the SUNY Colleges at Fredonia and Brockport, respectively, and her MFA in Poetry from the Naslund-Mann School of Creative & Professional Writing at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky. She teaches creative writing and experiential art practices at Art & Soul Expressive Arts Studio, where she also hosts a bi-monthly Open Mic Poetry Night, in Nashville, TN.

Publications & Prizes

Anthologies:
Low Explosions (Knoxville Writers Guild, 2006)
,
Not Your Mama's Cookbook (Kings Crossing Publishing, 2002)
,
Chester H. Jones Foundation Competition Anthology (Morris Publishing, 2000)
,
Essential Love (Poetworks/Grayson Books, 2000)
,
National Poetry Competition Winners (Chester H. Jones Foundation, 2000)
Journals:
Clackamas Literary Review
,
Cumberland Poetry Review
,
First Class
, ,
Journal of Poetry Therapy
,
Literary Accents
,
Nashville Arts Magazine
, ,
Poets On
,
Prizes won: 

2024 Mental Health Awareness Contest, First PrizePlease See Me, Issue #15; online. October 2024. Medmic Summer 2024 Poetry Contest, Third Place. Medmic, online. September 2024. The Porch Prize for Poetry, Finalist. Porch Writers Collective, Nashville, TN. Tiana Clark, judge. 2019. The Bea Gonzalez Prize for Poetry, First Prize. Stone Canoe, Syracuse, NY. Phil Memmer & Tony Leuzzi, judges. April 2018. Spring Poetry Award, Third Prize. Chattanooga Writers Guild, Chattanooga, TN. April 2015. Spoken Word Trailblazer Award, from Soul Food Poetry Café for YouthSpeaks “Nashville Now: Spoken Word Literary Census” production: Ben Smith, creator; Kelly Cass Falzone, director. 2010. Berry College Emerging Southern Women Writers Competition, Finalist. Berry College, GA. 2006. Libba Moore Gray Prize in Poetry, Third Prize. Knoxville Writers’ Guild, TN. Judy Loest, judge. 2004. Tennessee Writers Alliance Poetry Award, Second Prize. Nashville, TN. Michael McFee, judge. 2003. Chester H. Jones Foundation National Poetry Competition, Commendation. Ohio, 2000. Libba Moore Gray Prize in Poetry, Second Place. Knoxville Writers’ Guild. Judy Loest, judge.2003. Davis-Kidd Award in Poetry, First Prize. Tennessee Writers Alliance. Mark Jarman, judge. 1999. Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award. Educational Development Program, State University of New York, College at Fredonia, NY. 1999. “Discovery”/The Nation Contest, Semi-finalist. Unterberg Poetry Center, NYC, NY. 1999. The Pushcart Prize XVIII, Nomination by Ruth Daigon, ed., Poets On: Healing, Mill Valley, CA. 1994.

 

 

More Information

Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
Yes
Born in: 
Bronx, NY
New York
Raised in: 
Rochester, NY
New York
Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.
Last update: Oct 28, 2024