I'm Yasmine (she/her), a queer biracial Iranian American writer from Massachusetts. I am currently working on a poetry/cross-genre manuscript entitled Iranicana, which refers to artifacts at the intersection of Iranian and American identities. The book looks at my own upbringing as a queer biracial Iranian American in the context of the military industrial complex. Some projects I have on the backburner: another poetry collection exploring menstruation, queerness, vaginismus, America’s gynecological history, rape culture, girlhood/womanhood; a YA novel, and an essay collection.

My poems and essays appear in several publications, including POETRY, Ploughshares, The Sun, the Southern Review, AGNI, Narrative, Black Warrior Review, A Public Space, Shenandoah, Copper Nickel, and Mizna. I also have been the recipient of scholarships and grants from Poets and Writers, Reese’s Book Club, MASS MoCA, the Edith Wharton House, the Straw Dog Writers Guild, Monson Arts, Franconia Sculpture Park, the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, and elsewhere. I hold a BA in English from Johns Hopkins University and an MFA in Creative Writing (Poetry) from Virginia Tech.

I work as a holistic writing coach for creative writers seeking guidance on cultivating sustainable writing practices, developing and refining manuscripts, and professional development, including publication and application support. As an educator, I am passionate about demystifying the writing process, providing writers with the craft tools they need to tell their stories, and expanding access to writing and publishing resources. I regularly teach through creative writing nonprofits, including Grub Street, as well as coach and offer classes independently. In addition to reading and editing for the minnesota review, I've served as a juror for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Poetry Foundation, Scholastic, and MASS MoCA's Assets for Artists.

Learn more at yasmineameli.com and on IG @yasmineameli.