Abigail Kesten
Bio:
Abigail is a zillenial who has somehow managed to infiltrate a radio station run by a bunch of 18-23 year olds. She also enjoys gardening on her family's rural acreage, taking care of her cats, playing Fallout, nose to tail cooking, going to the gym, and working her way through the many classic films she has yet to watch. She is an enthusiast for the Swedish language, onomastics, and her big yellow box of Lego bricks.
Reason for Signing Up:
I wanted to see if I could do better than I did last year
Manny Grimaldi
Bio:
Manny Grimaldi is a poet, editor, performer, and translator. He is a Pushcart and Best of the Net 2026 nominee for works of poetry. Manny co-founded Yearling Poetry Journal in collaboration with Chris McCurry as his editor-in-chief at Workhorse in Lexington, and worked the publication as managing editor from 2021 to 2026. He recently won the Browning Literary Club Prize in Poetry from WKU, awarded by creative writing faculty, and spends much time performing his work regionally. Manny is author of two full length poetry collections-- Riding Shotgun with the Mothman, and Finding a Word to Describe You. He is the father of two genius level rapscallion repeat offenders--perfectly feral and wonderful in every way. He lives with a bevy of exotic animals.... six birds and a cat. The dishes are never done.
Reason for Signing Up:
Because.
Michele
Bio:
Michele LeNoir is an eclectic creative who balances her artistic practice with gardening, family time—especially with her grandson—and life-coaching former refugees she once taught. She lives with her spouse and a small menagerie of a horse, a dog, and three cats.
Reason for Signing Up:
Returning for my third year of LexPoMo, I am back to engage with the beautiful spirit of this community and to embrace the challenge.
Amy Le Ann Richardson
Bio:
Amy Le Ann Richardson is a writer, educator, and community organizer based on her family farm in Carter County. She is the author of three poetry collections, including Out of Places (Pine Row Press), and editor of the forthcoming anthology Rooted, Resilient, Rising: Women Growing Food across the Mountains (University Press of Kentucky). She is founder and director of the Bloodroot Young Writers Collective, an inaugural National Arts Futures Fellow, and co-founder of the Appalachian Literary Arts Festival in Morehead, Kentucky.
Reason for Signing Up:
For the love of poetry.
Antheia
Bio:
Antheia is a queer poet and fiction writer from Eastern Kentucky. Her work has been featured in Merion West, Roi Faineant, The Genre Society, Down in the Dirt and more. She is currently obtaining her MFA in Creative Writing.
