معرفی
Erin Entrada Kelly serves as a Graduate Adjunct in Hamline University's Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults (MFAC) program, where she mentors emerging writers through workshops and lectures. Her faculty role stems from her acclaimed career as a children's and young adult author, which includes multiple award-winning publications.
Kelly holds a bachelor's degree in women's studies and liberal arts from McNeese State University and an MFA from Rosemont College. Her educational background informs her interdisciplinary approach to storytelling, blending social themes with narrative craft.
Her research interests center on children's literature development, with emphasis on character authenticity, pacing techniques, and emotional resonance in middle grade and young adult fiction. Kelly explores themes of identity, family dynamics, and resilience across realistic and fantasy settings, often incorporating cultural heritage and social challenges. Her editorial methodology prioritizes authorial voice preservation while refining structural elements through targeted questioning and revision modeling.
Literary trends across her publications reveal consistent focus on marginalized perspectives, with increasing complexity in character psychology and narrative structure from early works like Blackbird Fly to recent Newbery Medal winner The First State of Being. Her fantasy works integrate cultural folklore while realistic fiction examines contemporary social issues through child-centered viewpoints.
- Newbery Medal for The First State of Being (2024)
- Newbery Medal for Hello Universe (2017)
- Newbery Honor for We Dream of Space
- APALA Award for Children’s Literature
- Parents Gold Choice Award for Lalani of the Distant Sea
- National Book Awards Finalist (2024)
- Louisiana Press Association journalism awards
- Associated Press editing awards
In her MFAC advising role, Kelly emphasizes student autonomy in creative development, employing question-based guidance and concrete revision examples. Her editorial notes specifically target character depth and narrative pacing—the most frequent developmental needs in emerging writers' manuscripts. She recommends foundational texts like Self-Editing for Fiction Writers while fostering collaborative workshop environments, as evidenced by her positive experiences co-leading sessions with colleagues such as Coe Booth.
Kelly maintains active creative partnerships through co-authorship (e.g., On Again, Awkward Again with Kwame Mbalia) and participates in literary communities that influence her pedagogical approach, though she does not lead formal research labs or grant-funded academic teams.
