Chris K
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at Georgia State University
Expertise
Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Literary Criticism
Bio
Hi, I'm Chris. I'm a poet and writer living in Nashville, Tennessee, at work on my first full-length collection of poems. I've been writing poetry for ten years, teaching English and creative writing for five. While my personal focus is on narrative poetry (poetry that tells a story), I am also interested in more lyrical forms, traditional rhymed and metrical forms, fiction, nonfiction, and literary criticism. I'm very excited to work with students who are passionate about reading and writing, who are interested in learning more about the craft. Aside from poetry, my main outlet is rock climbing. I coach one of the local youth competition teams in Nashville and spend lots of time climbing outside during the fall, winter and spring. Though I'm a very amateur guitarist, I love taking advantage of Nashville's access to live music, whether it's classic country, alternative/indie, folk or hip-hop. I look forward to getting to know you, too!Project ideas
Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.
Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?
To borrow T.S. Eliot's phrase, great poetry seethes against the humdrum, the cliché, the mechanical and rote. In this project, students will write a short collection of poems (up to 25 pages) that resist canned and prepackaged language, beginning to develop their poetic craft and aesthetic vision.
Languages I know
SpanishTeaching experience
I worked as an 8th grade English teacher in Las Vegas, Nevada for two years during my time as a Teach for America corps member. Additionally, I have taught a Beginning Poetry Workshop at Vanderbilt University and have lead a community writing workshop for people impacted by cancer through the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center.Credentials
Work experience
Vanderbilt University (2020 - 2021)
Curb Center FellowVanderbilt University (2019 - 2019)
Instructor: Beginning Poetry WorkshopClark County School District (2016 - 2018)
Licensed English TeacherEducation
Willamette University
BA Bachelor of Arts (2015)
English with a concentration in Creative Writing and PhilosophyUniversity of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV)
EdM Master of Education (2018)
Elementary Education: Curriculum and InstructionVanderbilt University
MFA Master of Fine Arts (2021)
PoetryGeorgia State University
PhD Doctor of Philosophy candidate
English/Creative Writing