Leah is a poet, writer, and editor living in Chicago. She holds degrees in poetry from Harvard University and UC Irvine’s Programs in Writing. For nearly 15 years she’s taught students to read with attention, and to write poetry, academic essays, and creative nonfiction. Recent work can be seen in Prairie Schooner, Fence, Rhino, Vinyl, and ZYZZYVA, among others, & she’s won awards from the Summer Literary Seminars and Matrix Magazine and scholarships and residencies from Napa Valley Writers Conference, Everglades National Park, and elsewhere. Her chapbook, Peninsular Scar, was released from Dancing Girl Press in 2019. Her collection Live oak nearly on fire was named a finalist for the 2021 Laureate Prize from Harbor Editions and the 2021 Paul Nemser Prize from Lily Poetry Review. Originally from Miami, she now works, writes, & gardens from her Chicago home, where she lives with her partner, their preschooler, and their cats Bernie and Betsy.