Kate Bernheimer

Kate Bernheimer is a Professor in the Department of French and Italian at the University of Arizona, College of Humanities. She teaches creative writing and courses on contemporary fairy tales as an art form. Her work spans authorship, literary criticism, and editorial leadership, particularly through the journal Fairy Tale Review.

Research Interests: Bernheimer's scholarship centers on Fairy-Tale Studies, Fiction, and Feminist Theory. Her work explores the intersections of fairy tales with literature, architecture, and psychology, emphasizing minimalist style and the redemptive power of narrative. She frequently collaborates with architects, including her brother Andrew Bernheimer, on the 'Fairy-Tale Architecture' series for Places journal.

Her major publications reflect a deep engagement with fabulist and mythic traditions. Bernheimer has authored novels, story collections, and award-winning anthologies that reinvent fairy tales and myths for contemporary audiences. Her editorial work has significantly shaped the field, promoting innovative writing in the genre.

Scientific Awards:

• Finalist, Shirley Jackson Awards
• World Fantasy Award winner for My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me
• World Fantasy Award nominee for xo Orpheus: Fifty New Myths

Bernheimer lectures internationally at venues including MoMA, Harvard University, and Brown University. She founded and continues to edit Fairy Tale Review, the only U.S. literary journal dedicated to fairy-tale writing in English. Her work has been translated into multiple languages, and she advises no formal students listed but influences the field broadly through her publications and editorial vision.

Labs and Teams: She co-leads the 'Fairy-Tale Architecture' project with Bernheimer Architecture and collaborators worldwide, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue between literature and design.