AVA CHEN
Ava Chen is a writer from Massachusetts. The founding Editor-in-Chief of the international literary magazine Sophon Lit and a Teaching Assistant for Polyphony Lit, her writing has been recognized by Bennington College, The Adroit Prizes, Columbia College Chicago, The Poetry Society of the UK, and more. Ava's poetry has also appeared in or is forthcoming with The Rumpus, Gigantic Sequins, The Penn Review, diode, wildness, and elsewhere. Her chapbook "Habitual Prayer" was chosen by Danez Smith as the winner of Palette Poetry's 2023 Chapbook Prize. Ava has also attended the Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program, Iowa Young Writers' Studio, and Kenyon Young Writers Workshop. When not writing, you can find her taking very long walks with her dog, whom she loves very much. She hopes you have a wonderful day.
SELECT HONORS
Pen&Quill Summer Contest · First Place2024 Adroit Prize for Poetry · Commended2024 Gigantic Sequins Poetry Contest · Finalist2024 Claudia Ann Seaman Awards · Creative Nonfiction Runner-Up2024 Sine Theta Annual Writing Contest · Poetry Shortlist2024 Bennington Young Writers Awards · 3rd Place in Poetry2023 Palette Poetry Chapbook Prize, judged by Danez Smith · Winnerruth weiss foundation's Youth Poet Award · Finalist2023 Adroit Prize for Poetry · CommendedYoung Poet Network's Peace and Quiet Challenge · 2nd PrizeIce Lolly Review Campaign Contest · 2nd Place in Poetry, 2x Poetry FinalistColumbia College Chicago Young Authors Writing Competition · 3rd Place in Poetry, Finalist in Creative NonfictionScholastic Art & Writing Awards · National Silver Medal in Critical EssaySmith College High School Poetry Prize · Finalist
SELECT PUBLICATIONS
OF A WARM BRIGHT POINT, coauthored with Jaeho Lee · Ghost City PressHabitual Prayer · Palette Poetry (fc chapbook in November 2024)POETRY"Parable" · The Offing (fc)"Ozone June" · Gigantic Sequins (fc)"Information Density" · Sine Theta (fc)"For Now" · Surging Tide (fc)"Falling Out" & "I Have Loved You" · The Rumpus"Double Slit" · wildness"False Elegy" · The Penn Review"The Doppler Effect" · Diode"Postmortem, Concert" · Beaver Mag"Self Portrait as Fraying Seams" · manywor(l)ds"Night Parable" · The Dawn ReviewPROSE"Parallels: The Stars, or Lack Thereof" · Polyphony Lit
“...again and again in this brief but stunning collection I found myself tripping over language so fresh and wise, at times ancient and at times from from electric dreamy future, making new all the places we poets have looked to find out work: into death, into the garden, towards love, and into the mirror. 'Habitual Prayer' has made me a fan of this poet’s magic, how they transfigure language into these precise, lush spells and invocations that unsettle me so. The greedy prayer I cast out to my gods: please, please, more of this, more from this poet.”
—Danez Smith
EDUCATION
2024Iowa Young Writers Workshop under Nitya Rayapati2023The Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program Poetry Mentee under Claudia CorteseThe Kenyon Review Young Writers' Residential Workshop under Chukwuma Ndulue
EXPERIENCE
2024"Floating Forms: Deconstructing the Line": YPW Summer Workshop Series2023Sophon Lit · Founder & Editor-in-ChiefPolyphony Lit · Teaching Assistantthe borderline · Poetry EditorActive Voice Mag · Literary EditorCulinary Origami · Prose & Poetry Reader