Carolynn Kingyens was born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia, having grown up the youngest of seven children in a 1950s row house that was prone to chronic leaks, where she and her brothers spent their summers perusing the old, urban ruins of Byberry Mental Hospital — their neighborhood’s golden rite of passage, taking off on their trusty bikes like the cast of E.T., or Stranger Things.
Carolynn is the author of two poetry collections, Before the Big Bang Makes a Sound and Coupling, both published by Kelsay Books. Poet & writer, Ed Meek, book reviewer for The Arts Fuse, writes: "Kingyens is particularly good at dramatizing paradoxes we cling to in everyday life. She suggests we live lives filled with tragicomedy."
And Barnes & Noble writes on Instagram: "Carolynn Kingyens’ poetry resonates with a darkening echo still felt long after the first read."
In addition to poetry, Carolynn writes essays, reviews, and short fiction. Two short stories were selected for The Best of Fiction 2021 and 2023 by Across the Margin, a Brooklyn arts & culture webzine, including ATM Storytellers, a podcast available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Her poems have been featured in Boxcar Poetry Journal, Schuylkill Valley Journal, The Potomac, Haggard & Halloo, The Orange Room Review, Red Eft Review, Across the Margin, Tuck Magazine, Word Riot, Eunoia Review, Glass: Journal of Poetry, One Art, The Five-Two and The Somerville Times.
Book and film reviews have been published by Across the Margin and The Arts Fuse. Two essays were republished by YourTango in 2024.
Since 2020, twelve short stories have been published. These titles include:
Gemma, The Bear (2020)
Fast Car (2020)
Sunglasses At Night (2020)
For Oona (2021)
Moveable Crusade (2021)
The Peggy Effect (2021)
Bye-Bye, Miss American Pie (2021)
Cooper Comes Home (2021)
It Was A Good Day (2022)
The Invitation (2023)
Attachment Theory (2024)
Night Crossing (2024).
Her short fiction story, "The Invitation," can be heard on ATM Storytellers, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
She writes on a myriad of topics from pop culture to pop psychology to true crime on Medium: https://medium.com/@ckingyens
