Ken Pienkos is a former public library director from rural Pennsylvania with BS and MLS degrees in Library Science. He completed the MFA Creative Writing Program at Antioch University Los Angeles where he is currently the Reference & Instruction Librarian.  Ken and his family live among the potatoes in a lettuce crisper at their Los Angeles home. He performed a solo one-act and a recent six week run in “Shades of Disclosure” at Skylight Theatre and regularly joins Queerwise LA in spoken word readings.

Educational History

MSLS in Library Administration, Archiving, Index & Abstract, Clarion University of Pennsylvania
MFA in Creative Writing, Antioch University Los Angeles
BS in Library Science, Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Awards

“Marketing for Lifelong Learning” Commonwealth Libraries of Pennsylvania – First Place Award

Verizon, Teen Technologies Apple Grant, $20,000

ALA Library Journal 2009 “Movers and Shakers” – National Recognition

National Endowment for the Humanities, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World, 2010

Mayor’s Citizen of the Year; Oxford, PA – 2010, 2011

Certificate of Achievement, Oxford Area Historical Association – 2011

Outstanding Community Citizen, Russellville Grange #91- 2011

AULA 2014 MFA Commencement Speaker

LAMBDA Literary, Emerging Voices Candidate

Research

Pienkos, Kenneth. “Critical Thinking, Collaboration, and Creativity: A Call for Cooperative Archival Models.” Clarion University of Pennsylvania, 2012.

Pienkos, Kenneth. “Impressing Footprint for Digital Youth.” Clarion University of Pennsylvania, 2013.

Pienkos, Kenneth. “The Courage to Look: A Critical Paper in Partial Fullfillment of the Requirements for MFA in Creative Writing.” Antioch University Los Angeles, 2013.

Pienkos, Kenneth. “Universal Access to Information through Geospatial Metadata: Faith, Hope, Trust, and Social Inclusion.” Clarion University of Pennsylvania, 2014.

Pienkos, Kenneth. “Fractals & Flotsam: a Novel.” Final Manuscript in Partial Fullfillment of the Requirements for MFA in Creative Writing, Antioch University Los Angeles, 2014.

Meyers, M. L. & Pienkos, K. (Ed.) Whisperings Along the Octoraro. AuthorHouse. (2008) Print.

Pienkos, K., “In June” Arts & Letter Literary Journal Georgia College, Sheridan Press. (2015) Print.

Pienkos, K., “Shaping the Queer Voice” Inspiration2Publication Journal. ( August 2015) Web.

Pienkos, K., “Broken Rhythms” Queerwise Anthology. Moon Mile Productions. (2017) Print.

Pienkos, K., Broder, M. (Ed.) “Hollywood Home.”  HIV Here and Now: An Anthology. Indolent Press (2016) [Web] (2017) Print.

Courses Taught

ENG 2120, Library Research Methods

TEP 6030, Research for Education Professionals

Shaping the Queer Voice – Inspiration2Publication, Online

Setting as Character – Inspiration2Publication, Online

Teaching Statement

I enjoy conversation and collaborative learning in the classroom and as an approach to creative scholarship.  We look for ourselves, our values and our voices in research and grow in leaps and bounds when we discover the intersection of who we are and who we may become through academic erudition.

I am here because I love reading and writing. I love writers. I love watching word after word after word become powerful expressions of story.

“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” ― Rudyard Kipling