Maria Melendez Kelson: Inspired By Wildness, Connections To Nature

Maria Melendez Kelson writes crime fiction, short stories, magazine features, literary essays and poetry. Originally a wildlife biology major and wildlife research field assistant in college, she continues to draw inspiration from wildness in human nature and human connections to wild nature. Her mystery novel-in-progress won the inaugural Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award from Sisters in Crime. Her poetry and prose appear in Poetry magazine, Orion, Ms. magazine, Flash Fiction Magazine, and numerous anthologies. Author of two poetry collections (as Maria Melendez) published by University of Arizona Press, her books have been finalists for the PEN Center USA Literary Award and the Colorado Book Award. Find her on Twitter: @mkelsonauthor.

 Subscribe to Poetry and Planet and never miss another podcast…

Poetry & Planet is produced by Ethan Goffman. “Ode to the West Wind” by Percy Bysshe Shelley and ”The Amazon River Dolphin” by Linda Rodriguez are read by R. Michael Oliver. Musical excerpts from “Elements of Life” and “Earth Revisited” are written and performed by Reginald Cyntje, with vocals by Christie Dashiell.  Aural interludes are by Douglas Harvey.

The opening poetry chorus is voiced by Jomo K. Johnson, Dr. Michael Anthony Ingram, Marianne Szlyk, and R. Michael Oliver.

“Ars Poetica: from a dusty California arena” originally appeared in Flexible Bones, University of Arizona Press, 2010.

“ICE Agents Storm My Porch.” originally appeared in Poetry Magazine, March 2014.

“The Amazon River Dolphin” by Linda Rodriguez was published in HEART’S MIGRATION  (Tia Chucha Press, 2009).