MAGGIE YANG
Maggie is a writer and artist from Canada. The author of Graftings (Kelsay Books), her writing has been nominated for Best of the Net and has been recognized by The Poetry Society, the Adroit Journal, the Atlanta Review, among others. Her poetry has been published in The Florida Review, Booth and elsewhere. She currently attends Columbia University.
GRAFTINGS
(Kelsay Books, 2024)
Praise for Graftings
“A finalist for the Amazon First Novel Youth Award, Maggie Yang’s writing in general, and poetry in particular, demonstrates a maturity beyond her years. Her provocative use of language and image is balanced, polished, and impactful.”
—Michelle Good, author of Five Little Indians (HarperCollins)
“Maggie Yang beautifully infuses personal and collective histories, poetry, and art into a nuanced and contemplative collection. Graftings is a joining together of family, culture, creativity, and conflict through the eyes of a young person making her way through and around these elements. Both playful and precise in form and content, Yang’s poems accentuate the power of language, but also its inadequacies—how words can maneuver us through our wonderings and bewilderment (“the language of excavating”), but also at times form barriers to understanding. These poems are truly “Golden patterns, / tightened narratives that tread / with the rhythm” of Yang’s evocative imagination and mature observations of the world around her.”
—Tanya Boteju, author of Bruised (Simon & Schuster)
“Maggie Yang takes it all in and brings you with her. Her poems offer a close look at culture and journeys. She is translating for her family, the reader, and herself. I look forward to following her work.”
—Jennifer Hollett, Executive Director of The Walrus
Select Honours
• Commended, Adroit Prize for Prose and Poetry 2023 (Top 3%)
• Winner, Madison Review Phyllis Smart-Young Poetry Prize 2023 ($1000 prize)
• Finalist, Amazon Youth Short Story Award 2023 (Top 1%)
• Finalist, The Florida Review's Editor's Prize for Poetry 2023 (Top 2%)
• Merit Winner, Atlanta Review International Poetry Competition 2023 (Top 1.5% of 2000)
• Commended, Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2022 (Selected 1/85 of 13,500+ poems)
• Winner, F(r)iction Lit Fall Poetry Contest 2021 (1/~2000 poems)
• 3rd Place, Kay Murphy Prize for Poetry 2023 (Top 1%)
• Shortlist, The Fiddlehead's Ralph Gustafson Poetry Contest 2022 (Top 10%)
Select Publications
Poetry:
• The Florida Review (2024) — For My Last Visit to China
• Booth (2024) — ResurrectingArt:
• Polyphony Lit (2024) — The Time that Does Not Fly
• The Adroit Journal (2023) — Strangling Blue, Lemonade of Childhood, Lion of History
Select Experience
Public Engagement:
• Invited poetry speaker for music recitals, events, and readings
• Creative Writing Instructor in 9+ workshops for libraries, schools, and organizations
• The Walrus lift note writer (8K+ reads)
• High School Poet Laureate (2022)
• Baltic Residency Chapbook Contest Judge (2024)Editorial Leadership:
• Founder and Editor-in-Chief — Pluvia Journal (2021-2024)
• Editor-in-Chief — High school newspaper (2021-2024)
• Junior Board Member, Editor, and Promotional Artist — Polyphony Lit (2021-2024)
• Editor — Réapparition Journal (2022-2024)Education:
• Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship (2022)
Editorial Services
College Admissions + High School Summer Program Applications:
I provide thoughtful, detail-oriented feedback to help you express your story with clarity and confidence.
Whether you’re applying to Columbia University, the Stanford Summer Humanities Institute, or the Adroit Journal Mentorship Program, I work with students to refine Common App essays and supplemental materials for a wide range of colleges and selective summer programs.Private Tutoring:
I offer individualized tutoring for high school students seeking support in AP testing, writing, and the humanities.Areas of focus include:
• AP English Literature, English Language, European History, and World History
• Academic and analytical writing across subjects
• Creative writing and poetry