Cara Dees

Cara Dees is an Assistant Professor of English in the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences at Belmont University. She holds a PhD from the University of Cincinnati and an MFA from Vanderbilt University, with additional academic credentials in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

Her research and creative work focus on:

• Contemporary American poetry
• Feminist and queer poetics
• Ecopoetics and rural women's writing
• Intersections of poetry with feminist and queer theory
• Modernist literature and health humanities

Her creative work, particularly the award-winning collection Exorcism Lessons in the Heartland, demonstrates a strong engagement with personal, political, and ecological themes in American poetry. The collection reflects trends in contemporary feminist and rural poetics, with lyrical intensity and theoretical depth.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Winner, Barrow Street Book Prize
• Finalist/Semifinalist for multiple national poetry prizes including the Brittingham & Felix Pollak Prizes, Lexi Rudnitsky First Book Prize, and others

She has served in significant editorial roles, including Editorial Assistant at Cincinnati Review, founding editor and Managing Editor of The Arkansas International, and Poetry Co-Editor and Comics Editor of Nashville Review. While no specific grants are mentioned, her publications in elite venues suggest strong scholarly and creative support. She has not yet advised any named students in the provided text.

She has been affiliated with key literary journals and publishing platforms, contributing to the academic and creative writing community through editorial leadership and publication in venues such as The Atlantic, Best New Poets, The Georgia Review, Gulf Coast, Harvard Review, The Hudson Review, Ploughshares, and Poetry Daily.