Joan Gelfand's Biography

Winner of the 2010 Cervena Barva Fiction Award for  "Here And Abroad," a chapbook of short stories, Joan's poetry, fiction, reviews and essays have appeared in national and international magazines, anthologies and literary journals.

Selected publications include Rattle, Kalliope, The Toronto Quarterly, The Meridian Anthology of Contemporary Poetry, RiverSedge, The Chaffin Journal and The DuPage Valley Review.   Anthologies include "You Are Here: Poetry from the Streets of New York," by P&Q Press, "Touching: Poems of Love, Longing and Desire" and "The Light in Ordinary Things" by Fearless Books; "If Women Ruled the World," "Oakland Out Loud," "Continent of Light," and "The Jewish Women's Literary Annual."

Upcoming anthologies include "Broken Circles: Poets Speak Out on Hunger," by Cave Moon Press, "gape-seed," by Uphook Press, "Bridging New York," by P&Q Press, and two essays in: "Women and Poetry: Tips on Writing, Teaching and Publishing by Successful Women Poets," with a forward by Molly Peacock. To be published in Fall, 2011 by MacFarland.

Recipient of Poets & Writers and a California Arts Council grants, Joan is Past President of the Women's National Book Association.  The Fiction Editor for Zeek Magazine, Joan teaches in the California Poets in the Schools and Poetry Out Loud programs. Joan also coaches writers to build their strategy for success and frequently speaks at workshops and conferences.

Books:  "A Dreamer's Guide to Cities and Streams," published by SF Bay Press in 2009 and "Seeking Center," by Two Bridges Press in 2006. You can listen to her CD, "Transported," on reverbnation.com.

Joan blogs regularly for the Huffington Post.