Kathryn Cowles

Kathryn Cowles is an Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where she also serves as Chair of the English and Creative Writing Department. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Creative Writing and English from the University of Utah and has been on faculty since 2011.

• Position: Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing
• Institution: Hobart and William Smith Colleges
• Department: English and Creative Writing
• Leadership: Chair, English and Creative Writing Department
• Education: Ph.D. and M.A., University of Utah

Her research and creative practice focus on poetry, hybrid forms, and experimental writing, with particular interests in contemporary and modernist American poetry, the European avant-garde, gender theory, and ekphrasis. She explores the boundaries between genres, often integrating visual art into her poetic works, sometimes creating fictional artworks to which she then writes poems.

Her publications include the award-winning Eleanor, Eleanor, not your real name (Brunsman Poetry Prize, 2008) and Maps and Transcripts of the Ordinary World (Milkweed Editions, 2019). Her recent poetic projects include a series of lake-inspired poems written during daily visits and ekphrastic works based on imagined art installations, such as Notes on the Imminent Art Show. These pieces often appear in journals like Boston Review, The Georgia Review, and Colorado Review, showcasing her engagement with conceptual and material dimensions of poetry.

Her scholarly writings, such as her essay on Donald Revell, reflect deep engagement with poetic theory and transubstantiation of language. She is also co-editor of poetry and hybrid forms for Seneca Review, underscoring her role in shaping contemporary experimental literature.

• Brunsman Poetry Prize (2008) for Eleanor, Eleanor, not your real name

Cowles teaches courses in creative writing, advanced poetry, hybrid forms, modernist and contemporary American poetry, and women's studies. She mentors students in innovative writing and collaborates across disciplines, notably with artist Kirin Makker on artist books and multimedia projects. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes experimentation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and close attention to language and form. She has previously taught at Ohio Northern University and the University of Utah.