Thomas Kneeland, MFA is author of We Be Walkin’ Blackly in the Deep (Marian University Department of Media, Communication, and Design) and a 2022 Frontier Poetry Global Poetry Prize finalist for the continent of Africa.

Thomas is a recipient of the Artist Ambassador Travel Grant from the Central Indiana Community Foundation. Thomas is a Speculative Play & Just Futurities Resident Fellow, which is funded by Indiana University, the Mellon Foundation, IUPUI Arts & Humanities Institute, IUPUI Center for Africana Studies & Culture, and the Ray Bradbury Center. He is also a Poet-in-Residence for The Learning Tree’s Poetic Justice cohort. His current and forthcoming publication credits include the Southern Humanities Review, The Rumpus, Vagabond City Lit, Up the Staircase Quarterly, South Florida Poetry Journal, INverse Poetry Archives, Rigorous Magazine, and elsewhere.

Thomas was previously an English Instructor and Dual Credit English Composition Instructor in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Elevation Review.

Thomas received his B.A. in English Writing from DePauw University, his M.A. in Ministry with a Worship Arts Specialization from Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University, and his MFA in Poetry from Butler University. Born in California and raised in Mississippi, he currently lives in Indianapolis, Indiana and is navigating the job market for faculty positions.

He can be found on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.