Biography Artist Statement
Through my creative work, scholarly research and my travels I push the boundaries of genre, defy the conventions of storytelling and work to redefine what it means to be an African American, female author in a nation that is going through a rapid cultural evolution.
I have published poetry, essays, short stories, poetry reviews and salacious tidbits for a number of publications including New York Magazine, The Adirondack Review, Stanford University'’s Black Arts Quarterly (now out of print), and Tribes Magazine. I've has also sung and performed at CBGBs, The la Mama Theatre and other venues across the country.
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Much of my work is informed by my travels around the country, the world and across my internal universe, as I meditate avidly to find truths about human nature. I feel fortunate I began my life journey in New Orleans, as I have a long list of artists, like Louis Armstrong, Tennessee Williams, Ann Rice to look to for homegrown inspiration.
At present I am concurrently pursuing a Masters in Education at Harvard and a Ph D in Education at the University of California, Davis. Ultimately, my goal is to continue to expand my range of published work while helping youth develop their own creative talents.
CV Snapshot CV Snapshot
Graduated Cum Laude from The City College of New York with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Creative Writing, 2008.
Awarded Carnegie Mellon Mays Fellowship, 2006
Studied Travel Writing and Dickens at Cambridge, England, 2006
Observed and assisted manuscript conservation in Timbuktu, Mali, 2007
Performed Original Music at CBGB's, 2005-2006
Awards
The Esther Unger Award For Poetry
Jacob Weiser Playwriting Award
2007 Poetry Ambassador
The International Outstanding Achievement Award In Poetry
Weston Scholarship for International Studies
CCNY Humanities Award
SSSP Outstanding Achievement Award
CCNY Black Alumni Scholarship
Kaye Scholarship
The State of Virginia Governor's Award for Volunteerism
Services & Specialties:
Writing Instruction Text Editing Travel Writing
Event Coordinating
Book Preservation/Library Sciences
Guerilla Music Journalism ~ Interviewees include Erykah Badu, John Popper, George Clinton, Bella Fleck, Elvis Costello & Vieux Farka Toure
Books and Gifts 
Kenya Mitchell's first collection of poetry confronts America's ever enduring struggles with social class while chronicling her own journey to artistic freedom.
Praise For Blue Line to Wonderland
Mitchell's tactile composition evokes, but not overwhelms, an alluring deeper meaning: lines like 'Evacuation is panic-/Narrow escalators lead to padlocked exits' force the reader to pause, ponder the literal and then bask in the abstract."
Angela Leroux-Lindsey, Editor of the Adirondack Review”
Aftermath of a Sociopath
In this collection of modern parables, K. T. Mitchell unmasks the motivations behind humanity's most hideous acts- unquelled desires of lust, social achievement, wealth and security.
By unveiling the lives and inner motivations of women, K. T. Mitchell questions our expectations about who we can trust. More importantly, these stories ask us to reconsider what the real face of pathology looks like.
Poetry Katie's Irish Tamourine
From Blue Line To Wonderland
Katies Irish Tambourine gently takes me by the hand
leading me off into a light-footed, lyrical dances knees high
the cats pissed on it once
Katies mother insisted the frivolous knick knack be thrown away
Katie, unassuaged, insisted on carefully cleaning the head.
She hadnt carried it across the ocean just to dump it in a landfill
Dormant in the living room corner, it was silent as The Blight until
it seduced with the promise of shimmy
a matchmaker down to her marrow Katie told of the frenetic Tings! the Celts produced with such a ring.
Imagine gypsy like maidens, scarlet and indigo silk scraps ribboning down their hair, foot stamping bare in the heather, not too far from the fire
that took the chill off the knoll.
Oh Fiddle, pipe and pint, fiddle pipe and pint, which song will we careen to today? The swaying of skirts, flirting lashes, bashful times were not those.
Each beat of the made up Celtic dervish chants
she punctuated with a little tap to the thing. I could not help but believe
as the tambourine gently takes me by the hand leading off into a
light-footed lyrical dances knees high
Fiction Penthouse
Knock off purses splash onto the bar. Lipstick, chump change, condoms, two sponges and tic tacs slid across the wooden rail and get stuck on spilled drink stains.
“You belligerent bitch. You’re drunk. You’re totally wasted.”
“I’m wasted? You’re the one who just showed the world the contents of her purse. Yesterday’s Sponge anyone?”
Janice scurries about, pushing stray lipstick and prophylactics back into her purse. “Not everybody can be the celibate femme queen,” Janice huffs. “Some of us need birth control because some of us need men. You’re always so mean and judgmental.”
“That’s why you love me,” Cassie slurs. “I’m not scared to call em like I see em. Hey, bartender! Bartender!” Cassie waves a spasmodic French manicured hand at the sunken-eyed gentleman at the end of the bar. Although he looks straight in Cassie’s direction, he doesn’t give any acknowledgement.
“Cassie, He can’t hear you over all this house music.” Janice flicks her hair over her shoulders.
“He can hear that girl in that tacky fur vest,” Cassie spits.
“She can’t be older than eleventeen. I wonder if he’s going to sterilize the bottle before he pours in the Cosmo. Wouldn’t want baby to get colicky.”
Fiction Excerpt from Aftermath of a Sociopath
“There you go with your venom. Sit down. I got this.” Cassie calmly perches on the barstool, looking expectantly at Janice. Without forewarning, Janice slides close to Cassie, nuzzling her cheek.
“Um, Janice? What are you doing?”
“I’m kissing you,” Janice coos. “Isn’t this what you’re always saying you want from me?” Janice bats her eyes at the bartender through Cassie’s cascade of curls. The bartender pauses mid shake on the Cosmo he was preparing. Absent mindedly, he pours it, pushes it toward the girl in the fur vest, then makes his way to Cassie and Janice.
“Well you girls are frisky tonight.”
“Just her,” Cassie says through a nervous burp.
“Well why don’t you let me set you up with some drinks on the house to loosen you up?”
“Thanks. Let’s start with two Tom Collins.” The bartender turns away from them to make their drinks.
“All that for a drink?” Cassie hisses.
“Well it worked, didn’t it?” Janice smirks. “You’ll do anything for attention,”
Cassie says with distain. “It’s disgusting."
Janice shot, “You’re just jealous because you look bland when you sit next to me.”
Cassie sniffs. “The word’s wholesome.Even though I'm bi, I'm still wholesome.”
“Whatever the word is, Betty Crocker, I’m not it.”
Contact 
To contact Ms. Mitchell for an author reading, teacher training workshop or another opportunity, please enter your information below.
Video Sample Current Projects
Warrior of Mande, a young adult gamebook based on pre-colonial Malian culture, is in the editing phase. Click the image for a preview!
City of Eve is a collection of poetry and vignettes about the power of femininity based on Kenya's travels to Jeddah Saudi Arabia and her upcoming journey to Nariobi, Kenya. It will also include a slam poetry play about the life of Assata Shakur.
Kenya currently works as the Tanzania Curiculum Designer for World Teach, an education non-profit, and is co-editor for Harvard Graduate School of Education's ALANA Anthology.
