Megan Kaminski

photo of Megan Kaminski wearing yellow/orange shirt
  • Director of Undergraduate Studies, Environmental Studies
  • Professor of English and Environmental Studies
  • Director of Undergraduate Studies, Environmental Studies
  • Environmental Studies
  • English

Contact Info

785-864-2500
Malott Hall #3035

Personal Links

Biography —

<div class="">Megan Kaminski is a Poet and Professor of Creative Writing and Environmental Studies at the University of Kansas. She is a community-engaged poet and essayist focused on place-based, environmental justice informed, writing, arts, and contemplative practices. She is the author of three books of poetry, Gentlewomen (Noemi Press, 2020), Deep City(Noemi Press, 2015) and Desiring Map (Coconut Books, 2012) and two artists books, Prairie Divination (Sunseen Books, 2022), a book of illustrated essays and oracle deck about tallgrass prairie ecologies, and Quietly Between (A Viewing Project. 2022), a co-authored collection of poetry and photography. Her place-based sound, poetry, and art installations have appeared at museums, public gardens, and libraries across the country, and her poetry and essays regularly appear in literary magazines and journals. Her community-engaged research includes three edited volumes of nature poetry and art, as well as hundreds of community workshops, place-based poetry walks, and community readings, talks, and performances, all centered on co-creating with and within our ecosystems towards community connection, healing, and liberatory futures. </div>

Teaching —

Teaching interests:

  • Environmental Humanities and Arts
  • Environmental Justice
  • Local Ecologies & Community Engagement
  • Science & the Arts
  • Ecology & Spirituality

Selected Publications —

Kaminski, M. (2026). Neighbors. Living Roots: Perennial Foods for an Abundant Future. Island Press.
Kaminski, M. (2026). Upland Combshell. Delisted 2023. Third Thing Press.
Kaminski, M. (2025). “They say” and “Amazon Army” . Kansas Matters. University of Kansas Press.
Kaminski, M. (2024). “Pussytoes,” “Ironweed,” and “Ocotillo” . Plant Perspectives.
Kaminski, M. (2024). “What we don’t yet know,” “Valerian,” and “Blazing Star” . TSQ: Transgender Quarterly Review.
Kaminski, M. (2024). Written in the Stars. Humanities Kansas.
Kaminski, M. (2024). A blueprint for survival. ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment - Issue 3 | Volume 31.
Kaminski, M. (2024). Four Poems. ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment - Volume 36.
Kaminski, M. (2023). Wild Words. Humanities Kansas.
Kaminski, M. (2023). Wintering Prairie (8 poems). Level Land: Poems for and about the I35 Corridor. Lamar University Literary Press. [978-1942956426].
Kaminski, M., Vogler, B., Anderson Moseman, L., Green, S. (2022). Quietly Between. A Viewing Space. [9798986991306].
Kaminski, M., Wheeler, L. (2022). Prairie Divination. Sunseen Press. [9780578300993].
Kaminski, M. (2022). The sea is a terrible place. Cream City Review - Issue 1 | Volume 46.
Kaminski, M. (2022). “Reflections in the mirror of body of street” and “Widowed windowed watching for darkness for damp light” . Court Green - Volume 21.
Kaminski, M. (2021). Words of a Feather. Humanities Kansas.
Kaminski, M. (2021). "Big Bluestem". The Mind of Plants. (pp. 57-60). Synergetic Press. [978-0907791874].
Kaminski, M. (2021). Under tree canopy. Plant-Human Quarterly - Volume 2.
Kaminski, M. (2020). fever break. Inverted Syntax - Issue 2 | Volume 1.
Kaminski, M. (2019). "Winter Poem" and "Wintering. So and So Magazine.
Kaminski, M. (2019). Being with Plants (essay + six poems). Entropy.
Kaminski, M. (2019). In Bloom (eight poems). American Poetry Review - Issue 2 | Volume 48.
Kaminski, M. (2019). “My mountain. My tunnel.” and “To break to open to dive into seawater” . Denver Quarterly - Issue 1 | Volume 53.
Kaminski, M. (2018). “I’ve Never Been to Amsterdam” and “There’s No Use Resisting the Morning Now”. Seneca Review - Issue 1 | Volume 48.
Kaminski, M. (2018). Each Acre. above/ground press.
Kaminski, M. (2017). Twenty. Kansas Time + Place. Little Balkans Press. [978-0982454961].
Kaminski, M. (2017). “Riot Love Poem” and “Your lines are as long and despondent as our own” . Nevertheless, She Persisted. Moria Books.
Kaminski, M. (2016). Providence. Belladonna*.
Kaminski, M. (2015). A Poetics of Permeability. Los Angeles Review - Issue 16.
Kaminski, M., Roy, B. (2015). Seven to December. Horse Less Press.
Kaminski, M., Yoder, A. (2015). Sigil and Sigh. Dusie Kollektiv.
Kaminski, M. (2014). Wintering Prairie. above ground press.
Kaminski, M. (2013). This Place. Dusie Press.
Kaminski, M. (2012). Favored Daughter. Dancing Girl Press.
Kaminski, M. (2012). Gemology. Little Red Leaves, Textile Series.
Kaminski, M. (2012). Renga. To the Stars Through Difficulties: A Kansas Renga in 150 Voices. Mammoth Publications.
Kaminski, M. (2011). The Prairie Opens. Poets for Change Chapbook. (pp. 16-16). Poets for Change.
Kaminski, M. (2010). Returns. Slash Pine Anthology. Slash Pine Press, University of Alabama.

Selected Presentations —

Poetry Reading, Bear Review Reading Series - 21c Musuem. Location: Kansas City, MO. (5-18-2024).
Poetry Reading, VOLTA Poetry Series - Replay Lounge. Location: Lawrence, KS. (4-17-2024).
Poetry Reading, AWP Soma Flights, Michigan Quarterly Review - Smalter Gallery. Location: Kansas City, MO. (2-09-2024).
Poetry Reading, AWP Convergence: Divination Poems & Stories - Aquarius. Location: Kansas City, MO. (2-08-2024).
Poetry Reading, AWP Rock and Roll Reading - The Brick. Location: Kansas City, MO. (2-07-2024).
“Listening to Place, Finding Home,” Literary Landscapes of Kansas - New Territory Magazine and High Plains Radio. Location: Online. (1-18-2024).
Thinking with Plants Podcast Interview, Ep 14 - Networking with Plants in the Anthropocene. Location: Online. (9-20-2023).
Poets in Praise of Prairie, Kansas Book Festival - Washburn University. Location: Topeka, KS. (9-16-2023).
Poetry Reading, Dog Park Poetry Series. Location: Lawrence, KS. (9-08-2023).
On Poetry and Translation Discussion - Raven Bookstore. Location: Lawrence, KS. (4-09-2023).
Blazing Star, Trans* Studies Seminar - Hall Center for the Humanities. Location: Lawrence, KS. (11-15-2023).
Virtual AWP in Conversation: Divine Writing—Connections between Writing Practice, Craft, and Divination - Association of Writers and Writing Programs. Location: Online. (9-13-2023).
Blazing Star, Writers’ Workshop Reading Series - University of Nebraska, Omaha. Location: Omaha, NE. (9-13-2023).
In Bloom, Sprung Formal Issue Release Reading - Kansas City Art Institute. Location: Kansas City, MO. (5-08-2023).
Prairie Divination, Something Witchy This Way Comes, Unbound Book Festival . Location: Columbia, MO. (4-23-2023).
In Bloom, New Territory Reading, Unbound Book Festival. Location: Columbia, MO. (4-22-2023).
this wide open heavy, Quietly Between - University of Northern Colorado. Location: Online. (4-06-2023).
Poetry Reading, Transatlantic Ecopoetry - Department of French and Italian, University of Kansas. Location: Lawrence, KS. (4-03-2023).
In Bloom, AWP Essay Press, Noemi Press, and Bloof Books Extravaganza. . Location: Seattle, WA. (4-11-2023).
In Bloom, AWP A Divine Reading: Where Writing and Divination Meet - Quest Theosophical Society. Location: Seattle, WA. (3-09-2023).
Listening to Prairie, Kansas Book Festival - Washburn University. Location: Topeka, KS. (9-23-2022).
Mary Oliver’s Queer Ecopoetry, Table of Contents, Kansas Book Festival. Lawrence. Location: Lawrence, KS. (9-18-2022).
Prairie Poetics, A Common Sense Reading Series - Kansas City Art Institute. Location: Kansas City, MO. (9-17-2022).
Listening to Place: Prairie Divination - Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, Kansas State University . Location: Manhattan, KS. (9-15-2022).
Under Tree Canopy, Plant-Human Quarterly Summer Solstice Reading. Location: Online. (6-21-2022).
Prairie Divination, ASLE Spotlight Series: New Work in Ecocriticism and the Environmental Humanities, “Beyond Human” panel - Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment. Location: Online. (5-20-2022).
Collaboration, Care, Friendship, and Prairie Divination, Spotlight on Care Series - The Commons. Location: Online. (4-21-2022).
Prairie Divination, Paper Plains Festival - Watkins Museum of History. Location: Online. (4-08-2022).
Gentlewomen, AWP Whiskey Room Reading. Location: Philadelphia, PA. (3-25-2022).
Dreaming Neurodivergent Futures in the Prairie, Disability Poetics - Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, Naropa University. Location: Boulder, CO. (10-22-2024).
Poetry Reading, Disability Poetics & Justice - Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, Naropa University. Location: Boulder, CO. (10-22-2024).
Listening to Place: A Poetics of Co-Dwelling, Humanities Out Loud Seminar - Hall Center for the Humanities, University of Kansas. Location: Lawrence, KS. (11-01-2021).
Poetry Reading and Presentation. Words of a Feather - Watkins Museum of History. Location: Online. (6-01-2021).
Listening to Place - Chanute Public Library. Location: Chanute, KS. (6-13-2024).
Nature Writing, Young Writers Workshop - Kansas State University. Location: Manhattan, KS. (6-24-2024).
Listening for Spring, The Story Center Writers Series - Mid-Continent Public Library. Location: Kansas City, MO. (4-11-2024).
Teaching All Students: Innovations and Approaches to Disability and Neurodivergence Inclusion - Center for Teaching Excellence. University of Kansas. Location: Lawrence, KS. (3-28-2024).
Co-Dwelling Poetics: Practices of Care, Plant Poetics - Kenyon College. Location: Online. (10-25-2023).
Wild Words Poetry and Nature Walk, KU Field Station and Lawrence Public Library - KU Field Station. Location: Lawrence, KS. (10-21-2023).
Listening to Place Poetry Walk - Bradford Memorial Library. Location: El Dorado, KS. (10-03-2023).
Wild Words Poetry and Nature Walk - Baker Wetlands. Location: Lawrence, KS. (9-30-2023).
Listening to Place Poetry Walk - Leavenworth Public Library. Location: Leavenworth, KS. (9-10-2023).
Ride and Write Workshop, Lawrence Transit Poetry Laureate Program - City of Lawrence. Location: Lawrence, KS. (7-07-2023).
Ride and Write Workshop, Lawrence Transit Poet Laureate Program - City of Lawrence. Location: Lawrence, KS. (8-30-2024).
Listening to Place: Writing Workshop, Lawrence Public Library & Lawrence Fruit Tree Project - Lawrence Community Orchard. Location: Lawrence, KS. (4-26-2023).
Learning from the Tallgrass Prairie - Hays Public Library. Location: Hays, KS. (4-11-2023).
Listening to Place, Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska - Iowa and Sac & Fox Mission Museum. Location: Highland, KS. (3-23-2023).
Winter Alchemy: Restorative Writing Practices for the Months Ahead - Corporeal Writing. Location: Online. (12-03-2022).
Thresholds: Tuning in to Fall, Divinatory Poetics Series - Four Queens. Location: Online. (10-02-2022).
Prarie Divination Oracle Readings, Hands-On Natural History, Civil War on the Border - Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum. Location: Lawrence, KS. (8-21-2022).
Sensory Plant Workshop, Native Plants and the Human Connection - Lawrence Public Library. Location: Lawrence, KS. (6-11-2022).
Listening to Place: Poetry and Nature Walk - Coffey County Library. Location: Burlington, KS. (7-16-2022).
Prairie Divination: Eco-Writing Practices, Workshop and Class Visit - Portland State University . Location: Online. (5-09-2022).
Listening to Place: Nature and Poetry Walk, Kansas Land Trust - Kansas Land Trust. Location: Lawrence, KS. (4-30-2022).
Listening to Place, Lawrence Public Library & Lawrence Fruit Tree Project - Lawrence Community Orchard. Location: Lawrence, KS. (4-27-2022).
Gentlewomen and Ecopoetics, Workshop and Class Visit - Department of Humanities and Communication, Trine University. Location: Online. (4-11-2022).
Prairie Divination: Collaboration and Healing, Workshop and Class Visit - Women’s and Gender Studies, University of Michigan. Location: Online. (3-22-2022).
Gentlewomen, Ecological Trauma, and Healing Poetics, Workshop and Class Visit - Department of English, Washington State University. Location: Online. (11-04-2021).
Words of a Feather Poetry + Bird Walk - Kauffman Museum at Bethel College. Location: North Newton, KS. (9-04-2021).
Poetry as a Healing Practice, Medical Humanities First Year Seminar - Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University. Location: Online. (6-28-2021).
The Speculative Lyric: Building New Poetic Selves and Worlds - Poesia Europa, Spazio Humanities. Location: Isola Polvese, Italy. (6-05-2024).
Words of a Feather – Connecting with Nature through Poetry - Kansas Book Festival. Location: Topeka, KS. (9-18-2021).
Listening to Place: Poetics of Co-Dwelling. Worlding Poetics panel - Louisville Conference for Literature and Culture. Location: Louisville, KY. (2-25-2022).
Co-Dwelling, Contemporary Feminisms panel - Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) National Conference. Location: Philadelphia, PA. (3-25-2022).
Prairie Divination,” Divine Writing: Connections between Writing Practice, Craft and Divination panel - Association of Writers and Writing Programs, AWP Annual Conference. Location: Seattle, WA. (3-10-2023).
In Bloom, Speculative Ecologies panel - Association of Literature and the Environment (ASLE) Bi-Annual Conference. Location: Portland, OR. (6-11-2023).
Care Practices: the sea, the stars, and deep time,” Writing Under the Influence: Accessing the Unknown through Divination panel - Association of Writers and Writing Programs, AWP Annual Conference. Location: Kansas City, MO. (2-08-2024).