Michelle Peñaloza is the author of All The Words I Can Remember Are Poems, winner of the 2024 Lexi Rudnitsky Editor’s Choice Award and the James Laughlin Award, awarded by The Academy of American Poets to recognize and support a second book of poetry (Persea Books, 2025). She is also the author of Former Possessions of the Spanish Empire, winner of the 2018 Hillary Gravendyk National Poetry Prize (Inlandia Books, 2019), and two chapbooks, landscape/heartbreak (Two Sylvias, 2015), and Last Night I Dreamt of Volcanoes (Organic Weapon Arts, 2015). Some of her honors include the Frederick Bock Prize from the Poetry Foundation as well as grants from the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, the Community Foundation of Mendocino County, Upstate Creative Corps, 4Culture, Artist Trust, Literary Arts, and PAWA (Philippine American Writers and Artists). You can find her work at The Seventh Wave, Poetry, Honey Literary, Bellingham Review, New England Review, Lantern Review, and featured in American Life in Poetry. The proud daughter of Filipino immigrants, Michelle was born in the suburbs of Detroit, MI and raised in Nashville, TN. She now lives in Covelo, CA on the land of the Round Valley Indian Tribes.
- MFA in Creative Writing, Poetry, University of Oregon. June 2011.
- BA in English and Secondary Education, summa cum laude, Vanderbilt University. 2005.
Poetry:
- “Kailangan,” “Kalokohan,” “Kalungkutan,” “Pagdadalamhati,” “Pikon,” “Stereograph: The Bones of the Tenants Whose Burial Rental was Not Renewed—Santa Cruz Cemetery, Manila, 1899,” “Inventory,” Stereograph: 24045 American Soldiers Feeding Filipino Children,” “Standardization” and “Failed Self-Portraits,” Mānoa: A Pacific Journal of International Writing, 36:2 Always, Again, January 2025.
- “All The Words I Can Remember Are Pieces of Fruit” and “Bloom,” The Nature of Our Times: Poems on America’s Lands, Waters, Wildlife, and Other Natural Wonders, December 31, 2024.
- We Are Our Own Eden: Poems & Collage : “Babae,” “Spawn,” “Q&A,” “Babalik Ako,” and “Updates,” On Tending, Seventh Wave, Community Anthology: On Tending, January 15, 2024.
- “Deals Only We Only Got Deals," "Huwang Kang Matakot," Poetry Northwest, August 21, 2023.
- “All The Words I Can Remember Are Poems” and “Utang Na Loob,” POETRY, July/August, 2023.
- “I Tell My Mother I Don’t Think Trying to Get Pregnant During a Pandemic Is a Good Idea,” Frontier Poetry Prize 2nd Place, Feb 23, 2022.
- “Dopplegänger,” featured in American Life in Poetry, November 1, 2021.
Prose:
- “On Collage: What We Can Do with Our Hands,” Bellingham Review, Issue 86, June 2022. https://bhreview.org/articles/on-collage/
Visual Art:
- We Are Our Own Eden: “Mga Babae,” “This Now Then That Was Is,” “Split Cell: Mother & Child,” “Questions,” “Answers,” and “Babalik Ako,” Collages. On Tending, Seventh Wave, Community Anthology: On Tending, January 15, 2024.
- “Dalanghita Lola.” Cover image. Poetry Northwest, Volume 18, Number 2, Winter & Spring 2024.
- “Haw Flake Lola," "Skyflake Lola," "Lola Werthers," and "I Quit Lola," Collages, Honey Literary https://www.honeyliterary.com/issue-6-/hybrid-four-pieces-by-michelle-penaloza
- “What We Can Do With Our Hands, Collages & Poems: ‘Hanggang Sa Muli,’ ‘Little One,’ ‘Stereograph: After Typhoon, Wherever the Roof Lands There the Filipino Makes His Home,’” Bellingham Review, Issue 86, June 2022. https://bhreview.org/articles/hangang-sa-muli-little-one-and-stereograph-after-the-typhoon/
- James Laughlin Award, Academy of American Poets, 2024.
- The Frederick Bock Prize, POETRY, 2023.
- Community Foundation of Mendocino County Grant Recipient, 2023.
- Upstate California Creative Corps Grant Recipient, 2023.
- Barbara Deming Memorial Fund Recipient, 2023.
- Kundiman Fellowship, Palm Beach Poetry Festival, 2022.
- Industry Prize, 2nd Place, Frontier Poetry 2021.
- Hilary Gravendyk National Book Award, Inlandia Books, 2019.
- Scotti Merrill Emerging Writer Award, Key West Literary Seminar, 2019.
- Artist Trust Fellowship, Seattle, WA, 2016
- Writing From the Margins Fellowship, Bloomfield College, 2016.
- Work-Study Scholarships, Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. 2013, 2014, 2015.
- 4Culture Art Projects Award, 4Culture, Seattle, WA, 2015.
- Jack Straw Writer, Jack Straw Cultural Center, Seattle, WA 2013-14.
- Made at Hugo House Fellowship, Hugo House, Seattle, WA. 2013-2014.
- Manuel G. Flores Scholarship, Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc. 2012.
- Kundiman Fellowship, 2012, 2023.
- Women Writers Fellowship, Oregon Literary Fellowships, Literary Arts. 2011.
- Starlin Poetry Award, Creative Writing Program, University of Oregon. 2009.
- Board Vice President, Mendocino Coast Writers Conference