Photo Credit: Leah Trib Productions

THOMAS KNEELAND is the author of the chapbook, We Be Walkin’ Blackly in the Deep. His creative and academic research explores ancestry, ecological memory, and the effects of intergenerational trauma in Black, Afro-Latine, and Afro-Indigenous communities.

Thomas has received recognition, grants, and fellowships from Frontier Poetry, Best of the Net, IU Indianapolis Arts and Humanities Institute (IAHI), Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), and the Indianapolis Arts Council. The recipient of the Edward Stanley Award for poems published in Prairie Schooner, his publication credits include Prairie Schooner, Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora, Southern Humanities Review, Hayden’s Ferry Review, The Rumpus, and elsewhere.

Thomas received his B.A. in English Writing from DePauw University, his M.A. in Ministry from Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University, and his MFA in Creative Writing from Butler University. He is currently an Assistant Professor of English at Anderson University.

LET’S WORK TOGETHER

Thomas is available for university talks, classroom visits, poetry panels, poetry readings, spoken word performances, and writing consultations.

To inquire about booking Thomas for your event or to discuss a potential collaboration, please use the provided contact form below.

ACCOLADES

  • A smiling man with glasses and a beard, wearing a red shirt and black pants, sitting on a checkered black and white floor against a plain, light-colored wall.

    GREENVILLE NATIVE, THOMAS KNEELAND, NAMED ONE OF 2025's EMERGING SCHOLARS

    DELTA DEMOCRAT TIMES

    “As Kneeland continues to inspire through his teaching and writing, he carries Greenville’s legacy with him, proving that roots in the Delta can grow to reach far beyond its borders…” — READ MORE

  • Cover of a magazine titled "Diverse" with a young woman wearing glasses and a bright pink fur coat, smiling and flexing her arm in a gesture of strength. The magazine celebrates its 40th anniversary and features the headline "Excellence in Action" with a subheading about diverse scholars at the University of Vermont.

    A POETIC PATH TO SOCIAL CHANGE - THOMAS KNEELAND

    DIVERSE: ISSUES IN HIGHER EDUCATION

    “Since becoming a poet, Kneeland has devoted his career to using literature to advocate for a more just society.” — READ MORE

  • Smiling Black man with glasses and a beard wearing a black polo shirt, in an indoor setting.

    PROFESSOR THOMAS KNEELAND NAMED 2025 EMERGING SCHOLAR

    ANDERSON UNIVERSITY

    Anderson, Ind. — Anderson University’s Thomas Kneeland has been named one of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education’s 2025 Emerging Scholars of the Year. Recipients are nominated by their peers. Each scholar is selected based on research, educational background, publishing record, teaching record, competitiveness in field of study, and uniqueness of field of study. — READ MORE