Shannon Reed

Shannon Reed is a Teaching Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Writing Program at the University of Pittsburgh's Department of English (Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences). She leads the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Pitt, an MA in Educational Theatre from NYU, and a BFA in Theatre from Otterbein University. Her work bridges creative writing, humor studies, and disability advocacy, with recent grants from The Heinz Foundation and the European Studies Center.

Her research interests include narrative non-fiction, pedagogy in creative writing, and the intersection of disability and storytelling. Notable publications include Why We Read (2023) and Why Did I Get a B? (2022), which blend humor with critical analysis. Her essays appear in The New Yorker, McSweeney's, and The Washington Post, while her plays have been performed nationwide. She is currently writing a disability memoir and a novel set in a 1997 arts camp.

Her teaching portfolio spans undergraduate fiction writing courses, humor writing, and directing the Writing Program. Awards include the Thurber Prize semifinalist honor (2022) and multiple literary club recognitions. Grants support her creative projects and community engagement initiatives.