Margo Perin

Margo Perin’s book publications include Plexiglass, a book of poetry about the lives of those held captive in the prison industry; The Opposite of Hollywood, autofiction about a childhood on the lam; Only the Dead Can Kill: Stories from Jail, stories and poems by people who are incarcerated; and How I Learned to Cook & Other Writings on Complex Mother-Daughter Relationships, acclaimed and emerging writers on the shadow side of their mothers. Perin is the poet of San Francisco’s public memorial Spiral of Gratitude and the Sonoma County Area Coordinator for California Poets in the Schools. A nominee for the Pushcart Prize, she has been featured in national and international media, including NPR, BBC News, BBC World Service Outlook, O, The Oprah Magazine, Heyday/PEN’s Fightin’ Words, The Press Democrat, San Francisco Chronicle, Mexico’s El Petit Journal, Holland’s Psycologie and on TV and radio. Perin is the Sonoma County Network Coordinator for California Poets in the Schools and has taught teaching poetry and creative writing for more than thirty-five years. Her teaching artist residencies include K-12 schools, after-school programs, juvenile and adult jails and prisons, alternative schools, children’s homes, libraries, senior and community centers, art centers, and hospitals. Specializing in healing from trauma workshops, her work with children dealing with fire-related trauma was featured on KRCB, with adults in the Press Democrat, and with youth on KGGV radio. She is the co-founder of Whoa Nelly Press, whose mission is to publish unheard, marginalized voices. Perin also teaches poetry and creative writing in universities, including on MFA Writing programs, for Poetry Out Loud, online through writers.com, and in Italy and Mexico. Please visit margoperin.com