World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Donika Kelly

ドニカ・ケリー

Donika Kerī

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Los Angeles (birthplace) → Arkansas (moved in late 1990s) → Iowa (current residence)

Career

Occupations
Academic, Poet
Active Years
2004-
Affiliations
University of Iowa, Department of English
Memberships
Cave Canem Foundation (Graduate Fellow)
Influenced By
Natasha Trethewey

Education

Southern Arkansas University
English
Degree: BA
Period: 〜2005
Year of Graduation: 2005
Country: United States
University of Texas at Austin
Creative Writing (MFA)
Degree: MFA
Period: 〜2008
Year of Graduation: 2008
Country: United States
Thesis: The White Meat
Vanderbilt University
English
Degree: PhD
Period: 2008–2013
Year of Graduation: 2013
Country: United States
Dissertation: Reading Against Genre: Contemporary Westerns and the Problem of White Manhood
Michener Center for Writers
Creative Writing (MFA)
Degree: MFA (writing)
Country: United States
Attended / Michener fellowship

Awards

Cave Canem Poetry Prize
2015
Work: Bestiary
Category: 詩
Organization: Cave Canem Foundation
Result: 受賞
Hurston/Wright Legacy Award (Poetry)
2017
Work: Bestiary
Category: 詩
Organization: Hurston/Wright Foundation
Result: 受賞
Kate Tufts Discovery Award
2018
Work: Bestiary
Category: 詩
Organization: Kate Tufts Foundation
Result: 受賞
National Book Award (Longlist)
2016
Work: Bestiary
Organization: National Book Foundation
Result: ロングリスト
Lambda Literary Award (Finalist)
2017
Work: Bestiary
Category: 詩（レズビアン詩など該当カテゴリ）
Organization: Lambda Literary
Result: 最終候補
Publishing Triangle Award (Finalist)
2017
Work: Bestiary
Organization: The Publishing Triangle
Result: 最終候補
National Book Critics Circle Award (Poetry, Finalist)
2021
Work: The Renunciations
Category: 詩
Organization: National Book Critics Circle
Result: 最終候補
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (Poetry)
2022
Work: The Renunciations
Category: 詩
Organization: Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Result: 受賞
Lannan Residency Fellowship
Organization: Lannan Foundation
Result: フェローシップ
Fine Arts Work Center Fellowship
Organization: Fine Arts Work Center
Result: フェローシップ

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Bestiary

2016 Poetry

A poetry collection using animal imagery to explore loss, family, and identity; a series of lyric and symbolic poems.

animal imagerygrieffamilyrace and identity

The Renunciations

2021 Poetry

A poetry collection that treats personal loss, renewal, and relationships; noted for emotional depth and precise diction.

loss and renewalintimacymemory

Aviarium (chapbook)

2017 Poetry (chapbook)

A short chapbook dealing with animals and inner imagery.

animalspersonal memory

The Natural Order of Things

2025 Poetry

A poetry collection addressing nature and questions of social order.

naturesocial order

Bibliography

  • Bestiary (2016)
  • Aviarium (chapbook, 2017)
  • The Renunciations (2021)
  • The Natural Order of Things (2025)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyrical, metaphor-rich poetryprecise language that frequently uses symbolic imagery
Recurring Motifs
animalsfamilylossmemory

Legacy

Recognized as an important contemporary American poet, noted for using animal motifs and personal loss in her work. Active in both academia and creative writing, recipient of multiple fellowships and awards.

Trivia

  • Spouse is writer Melissa Febos.
  • Serves as an Assistant Professor teaching creative writing at the University of Iowa.
  • 'Bestiary' won the 2015 Cave Canem Poetry Prize and was longlisted for the 2016 National Book Award.
  • 'The Renunciations' won the 2022 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in poetry.