About
Background
Valentina Gnup has been writing poetry since she was in high school. She received her bachelor's degree in journalism from CSUF in 1980. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles in 2002. After living in Santa Barbara, California for 20 years, she moved to Greensboro, North Carolina for 6 years, followed by 6 years in Portland, Oregon. She has two grown daughters and currently lives in Oakland, California where she coaches high school writers.
Published work
Stories That Need to Be Told anthology—"A Story My Mother Will Never Hear" in 2023
WB Yeats Society website—"Doll, It All Goes by So Fast" 2023
LAdige—“How to Survive Online Dating,” “The Language of Waitresses, 1979,” “When We Were Horses,” and “More Than Sparrows" Californian Poet Series, in 2023
HOLE IN THE HEAD re:VIEW—"Song for Ukraine" in 2022
Two Hawks Quarterly—"Architecture of Memory" and "The Work of Flying" in 2022
December—"Pink Peonies" in 2020
Five South (The Weekly)—"Pieces of Days" in 2021
The New Guard Literary Review—"On the Corner of Powell and Cesar Chavez" in 2020
The Lyre, Greensboro College Literary Journal—"The Cries of One Crow" "Autumn Aubade" "Lament of a Bare Branch" "Her Face, Crimson Petals" and "France Etude" in 2020
Headline Poetry and Press—"My Sorrow is My Sorrow" in 2020
Lascaux Review—"When You Are Invisible, You Can Say Anything" in 2019
Rattle—“We Speak of August” in 2010 “Morning at the Welfare Office” in 2016 and “A Thousand
Possible Clouds” in 2017 "It's a Sad Story" in 2020
Lunch Ticket Special: Celebrating 20 Years of Antioch’s MFA in Creative Writing—“We Speak of August” and “Morning at the Welfare Office” in 2017
As It Ought to Be, Blog—“We Speak of August” in 2016
Mudfish—“Hotel Aubade” in 2014
Corners of the Mouth: A Celebration of Thirty Years at the Annual San Luis Obispo Poetry
Festival, Kevin Patrick Sullivan, editor— “The Cries of One Crow” in 2014
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation Website—“The Cries of One Crow” in 2011
Work Zine—“At the Cherimoya Packaging Plant” in 2010
Cutthroat Journal of the Arts, chosen by Dorianne Laux—“France Etude” in 2009
Best American Poetry, Blog, chosen by Mark Strand—“American Meditation” in 2008
Kakalak, an anthology of North and South Carolina writers—“Her Face, Crimson Petals” in 2008
NothingButRed, an anthology about violence against women, Lulu.com Press— “Her Face, Crimson Petals” in 2008
Solo Café 2— “Dark Red Leaves” in 2008
Chelsea—“Autumn Nocturne” “Wintering” “At Edward Hopper’s Self-Portrait” and “Dark Red Leaves” in 2007
Poets Against War published online by Sam Hamill—“Baghdad Ghazal” in 2005
The Lyre, Greensboro College Literary Journal—“Drummer Elegy” and “The Last Cumulus Cloud in Texas” in 2005
Ekphrasis Journal—“Sheep Study” and “Nude with Mirror” in 2004
MARY Journal—“Lament of a Bare Branch” and “Shadows in Gold” in 2004
Brooklyn Review—“Old Underwear” in 2004
Crab Orchard Review—“City of Fire” in 2001
Slipstream—“The Shape of Jellyfish Flying” in 2001
Crimson Crane, literary journal of Antioch University Los Angeles—“All These Winters” in 2001
Wilshire Review—“At the Cherimoya Packaging Plant” in 2000
Voce Piena—“City of Fire” in 2000
Curious Rooms, Smashing Icons—“I’m Sick of Lyn Lifshin” in 1999
Art/Life—“A Thousand Daughters” in 1997 and “Constellations” in 1999
Beyond the Valley of the Contemporary Poets, Valley Contemporary Press—“House of No Husband” and “Definitions of Grace” in 1999
Blue Collar Review, Journal of Progressive Working Class Literature—“Definitions of Grace” “The Boning Knife” and “Helping Pearl” in 1999
Nimrod, chosen by W.S. Merwyn—“The Boning Knife” “A Thousand Daughters” “Valentina” “Constellations” “The First Time I Understand Hunger” and “Simple Gifts” in 1997
Santa Barbara Independent— “Halloween 1965” in 1993 and “Learning to Pray” in 1997
Blue Satellite—“After Breakfast” in 1995 and “Dance of Years” in 1996
Red Tiles, Blue Skies, More Tales of Santa Barbara, John Daniel and Company Publisher— “Some Evening” in 1996
Rivertalk '95—"At the Kitchen Sink" and "Crossing the Freeway"
Wind Magazine—“Definitions of Grace” in 1995
Paper Radio—“Cancer and Weather” in 1995
Verve— “Sunday Morning” in 1993 and “Crossing the Freeway” in 1995
Retooling for Renaissance in the 3rd Millennium, Poetry Anthology—“Camellias” and “Carpinteria Beach in October” in 1995
The Hiram Poetry Review—“Reds, Purples, Blues” in 1993
Two Twenty-four Poetry Quarterly—“Natural Predator” and “Halloween 1965” in 1992
Sparrow Octaves, chapbook,
Birch Brook Press, 2005
A Certain Piece of Sky, chapbook,
Mille Grazie Press, 1996
Awards
Yeats Poetry Prize, second place, judge, Alan Feldman, 2023
Grayson Books Poetry Prize, Runner-up, judge Brad Davis, 2023
Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards, First Prize, poetry, judge, Allison Adelle Hedge Coke, 2023
Barry Spacks Poetry Prize, Gunpowder Press, Finalist, 2023
Pushcart Prize nomination from Two Hawks Quarterly for "Architecture of Memory", 2022
The Writing Salon Jane Underwood Prize,
Semi-finalist, 2022
42 Miles Press Poetry Award, Finalist, 2021
December's Jeff Marks Memorial Poetry Prize, Finalist, 2020
Codhill Press Pauline Uchmanowicz Poetry Award, Finalist, 2019
The New Guard Literary Review Knightville Contest, Finalist, 2019
The Lascaux Prize in Poetry, 2019
The Writing Salon Jane Underwood Prize, Finalist, 2018
Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge, Editor's Choice, 2017
Rattle Poetry Prize, Readers’ Choice Award, 2015
Mudfish Poetry Prize, Finalist, judge, Charles Simic, 2013
Dana Awards, Finalist, 2013
Anam Cara Poetry Competition Ireland, Honorable Mention, 2012
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation Barbara Mandigo Kelly Peace Poetry Award, First Prize, 2011
Bellingham Review Literature Awards, Finalist, 2011
Paumanok Poetry Award, Finalist, 2011
Rattle Poetry Prize, Honorable Mention, 2010
Codhill Chapbook Award, Finalist, 2010
Joy Harjo Poetry Award, First Prize, Cutthroat Journal of the Arts, judge, Dorianne Laux, 2009
Best American Poetry Inaugural Ode Contest, tied for 3rd place, judge, Mark Strand, 2008
New Letters National Poetry Competition, Honorable Mention, 2006
North Carolina Writers’ Network, Mary Belle Campbell Book Publication Prize, 2005
North Carolina Writers’ Network, Blumenthal Writers and Readers Series, 2003
Iowa Review, Iowa Award Finalist, 2003
North Carolina State Poetry Contest, Honorable Mention, judge, Eleanor Wilner, 2003
National Poetry Series, Finalist, 2002
Santa Barbara County Arts Fund Individual Artist Award, 2000
Ahninga Book Prize, Finalist, 2000
Nimrod/ Hardman Award, Pablo Neruda Prize, Honorable Mention, judge, W.S. Merwin, 1997
Rainer Maria Rilke International Poetry Competition, First Prize, 1996
National Writers Union Santa Cruz Chapter Contest, Finalist, judge, Mary Oliver, 1996
Wind Magazine's Allen Tate Memorial Award, First Prize, 1995
Ventura Poetry Festival Contest, First Prize, 1995
USC's Ann Stanford Poetry Prize, Honorable Mention, 1995
Southern Birmingham College's Hackney Literary Awards, Third Prize, 1993
New Letters National Poetry Competition, Finalist, 1993