SENK identifies as a wordsmith. Drawing from a love of archaeology, ancient languages, nature, gardening, hiking, visual art, and adventures with her sons, she uses these interests to craft poetry, short stories, fables, as well as non-fiction articles and essays.
recognitions
2024
Dr. Lucile E. Thompson Memorial Award, Poetry Society of Virginia, first place for poem, "A New Home"
Joe Pendleton Campbell Memorial Award, PSV, second place for poem, "Sieved with Galium Aparine"
Russ & Ellen Notar World Vision Poetry Award, PSV, honorable mention for poem, "The OKness We Bring"
Family Relationships award, PSV, honorable mention for poem, "Bienvenidos, Mundi"
Climate Change award, PSV, honorable mention for poem, "A World Refocused"
2023
Peter K. Hixson poetry award through Writer's Relief
Push Cart Prize nomination for "Ad Infinitum" in Arboreal Literary Magazine.
Bess Gresham Memorial, Poetry Society of Virginia (PSV), second place for poem, "...with another."
Brodie Herndon Memorial, PSV, second place for poem, "Within a Chrysalis"
Cenie H. Moon Prize, PSV, third place for poem, "Her Writing Reads Like Rain"
Judah, Sarah, Grace, & Tom Memorial, PSV, first place for poem, "There's a Tree in Narok"
Elizabeth J. Urquhart Memorial, PSV, third place for poem, "A Carolina Wren Calls"
2022
Kingdoms in the Wild 2022 Poetry Prize for the chapbook Chameleon Sky
Mini-Contest #52, On the Premises, second place for a 50-word story, "It was only one card"
National Poetry Month video, The Elevation Review, quote
2021
Anne Spencer Memorial contest, PSV, third place for poem, "Formed Like an Etching"
Bess Gresham Memorial contest, Poetry Society of Virginia, second place for poem, "By a Kenyan Campfire"
Carleton Drewry Memorial contest, PSV, honorable mention for poem, "After a Summer Rain"
Ekphrastic Poetry Award, PSV, first place for poem, "When all the World" based on Hands at Cuevas de las Manos (a photo of cave paintings in Argentina)
2020
Karma Deane Ogden Memorial contest, Poetry Society of Virginia, third place for poem, "Our Bodies Always Seem"
2019
Soap Haiku Contest, Whole Life Soaps, top ten finalist for poem, "Star jasmine scales the trellis"
Ada Sanderson Memorial Award, Poetry Society of Virginia, first place for poem, "Riverwater Slips Into Unshakeable Night"
Bess Gresham Memorial contest, PSV, second place for poem, "One Summer With Claudia"
Don Frew & John Newcomb Memorial Award, PSV, first place for poem, "Clouds Cloak Like a Pallid Night"
Poetry Matters Project adult literary prize, finalist for poem, "A Curse or a Gift"
Dr. Lucile E. Thompson Memorial Award, Poetry Society of Virginia, first place for poem, "A New Home"
Joe Pendleton Campbell Memorial Award, PSV, second place for poem, "Sieved with Galium Aparine"
Russ & Ellen Notar World Vision Poetry Award, PSV, honorable mention for poem, "The OKness We Bring"
Family Relationships award, PSV, honorable mention for poem, "Bienvenidos, Mundi"
Climate Change award, PSV, honorable mention for poem, "A World Refocused"
2023
Peter K. Hixson poetry award through Writer's Relief
Push Cart Prize nomination for "Ad Infinitum" in Arboreal Literary Magazine.
Bess Gresham Memorial, Poetry Society of Virginia (PSV), second place for poem, "...with another."
Brodie Herndon Memorial, PSV, second place for poem, "Within a Chrysalis"
Cenie H. Moon Prize, PSV, third place for poem, "Her Writing Reads Like Rain"
Judah, Sarah, Grace, & Tom Memorial, PSV, first place for poem, "There's a Tree in Narok"
Elizabeth J. Urquhart Memorial, PSV, third place for poem, "A Carolina Wren Calls"
2022
Kingdoms in the Wild 2022 Poetry Prize for the chapbook Chameleon Sky
Mini-Contest #52, On the Premises, second place for a 50-word story, "It was only one card"
National Poetry Month video, The Elevation Review, quote
2021
Anne Spencer Memorial contest, PSV, third place for poem, "Formed Like an Etching"
Bess Gresham Memorial contest, Poetry Society of Virginia, second place for poem, "By a Kenyan Campfire"
Carleton Drewry Memorial contest, PSV, honorable mention for poem, "After a Summer Rain"
Ekphrastic Poetry Award, PSV, first place for poem, "When all the World" based on Hands at Cuevas de las Manos (a photo of cave paintings in Argentina)
2020
Karma Deane Ogden Memorial contest, Poetry Society of Virginia, third place for poem, "Our Bodies Always Seem"
2019
Soap Haiku Contest, Whole Life Soaps, top ten finalist for poem, "Star jasmine scales the trellis"
Ada Sanderson Memorial Award, Poetry Society of Virginia, first place for poem, "Riverwater Slips Into Unshakeable Night"
Bess Gresham Memorial contest, PSV, second place for poem, "One Summer With Claudia"
Don Frew & John Newcomb Memorial Award, PSV, first place for poem, "Clouds Cloak Like a Pallid Night"
Poetry Matters Project adult literary prize, finalist for poem, "A Curse or a Gift"
publications
BOOKS & CHAPBOOKS
Chameleon Sky, Kingdoms in the Wild Press, February 2023.
POETRY IN LITERARY JOURNALS & ANTHOLOGIES
"The OKness We Bring" upcoming in Elegies for Victims of State-Sponsored Violence, an anthology by Moonstone Art Center, 2024.
"A New Home" and
"Sieved with Galium Aparine" in Collected Winning Poems from The Poetry Society of Virginia, 2024.
"An Aura of the Unknown" in Art on the Trails: Legacy, September 2024.
"Recalling the Uncalled,"
"Star-Dreams,"
"Stilt-Walking in the Mud,"
"To Shadow Play with Stars,"
"Without You" in Louisiana Literature, Spring 2024.
"The Gilding of Peace" in GROUND, Issue 2, 2023.
"There's a Tree in Narok,"
"...with another," and
"Within a Chrysalis" in Collected Winning Poems from The Poetry Society of Virginia, 2023.
"Homeless Heart" in Culinary Origami Journal, March 31, 2023.
"Lifeline,"
"A Simple Table Stained,"
"Therapeutics of a Rent Heart,"
"Promising the World," and
"Ad Infinitum" in Arboreal Literary Magazine, Issue 1, February 2023.
"The Slow Burn of the Mill" in Kitchen Quarterly Review, Issue xxiii.ii, 2023.
"Wavesong of a Marsh" in Chariot Press Literary Journal, Winter 2022.
"An Axion" in Wild Roof Journal, Issue 15, July 2022.
"Beyond the Window" in The Bluebird Word, June 2022.
"A Curse or a Gift" in Stoneboat Literary Journal, Issue 12.1, Spring 2022.
"Anemones Slice into Heirloom" in The Elevation Review, National Poetry Month, 2022.
"Stuck Awake" in It's Twelve O'Clock Poetry Anthology, Wingless Dreamer, August 2021.
"A Form Well-Loved" in Crosswinds Poetry Journal, 2021.
"Holding a Placenta" in The West Trade Review, Spring 2020.
"Unfolding Beauty" in Lucky Jefferson, Spring 2020.
"One Summer With Claudia,"
"Riverwater Slips Into Unshakeable Night," and
"Clouds Cloak Like a Pallid Night" in Poetry Virginia 2019, Poetry Society of Virginia, February 2020.
"I Walk Through" in Cumberland River Review, Issue 9-1, January 2020.
"Bakelite on the Beach" in Flyway Journal for Writing and Environment, November 8, 2019.
"A More Gentle Touch" in the winnow, Summer 2019.
"A Paper Chain of Immigrants" and
"Illuminating Raccoons" in Watershed Review, Spring 2019.
"First Words Read" in Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Vol. IV, 2019.
"Like Lichen Lingering" in Rattle's Poets Respond, December 9, 2018.
"Red Flecks on a Veneer of Black" in Scintilla Magazine, Issue 11, 2018.
"A Weary Pattern of Dissolved Shell" in Scintilla Magazine, Issue 11, 2018.
"Know My Native Name" in Gone Lawn, 29, Summer 2018.
"Beyond the Falling" in Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Vol. III, 2018.
"Then a Glint" in Raven Chronicles, Vol. 25: Balancing Acts, Winter 2017.
"Into the Depths" in Horn & Ivory Zine, 05 September: A Deepening, 2017.
"(Dis)ambiguation,"
"Müllerian Mimicry," and
"Like a Fallen Angel" in Adelaide Literary Magazine, July 2017.
"I Found Heaven Once,"
"When Thread Thins," and
"The Kenyan Serengeti" in Colere, 2017.
"The Ancient Stick" in Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Vol. II, 2017.
"Irezumi" in Claudius Speaks, 2017.
"In This Thin Place" in Virginia Literary Journal, Vol. 3.
"Something More Than Wine" in Multimedia: Poetry, Judd's Hill, 2016.
"Delicate Forms" in From the Depths, 2016.
"The Disclosure of Death" and
"An Oak in Winter" in Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Vol. I, 2016.
"Perched Atop the Red Stool" in From the Depths, 2015.
"Remember When" in Latest Works From the Depths, Haunted Waters Press, October 25, 2015.
"Earth-clad Potatoes" in From the Depths, Summer issue, 2014.
"The Big Blue Box" in From the Depths, Spring issue, 2014.
"The Cotton Apron" in From the Depths, Spring issue, 2013.
"Parched and Sparse" in Evangel, 2009.
"It's They Who Watch 'Til Light" in Poetry From the Valley of Virginia, Loft Press, 1998.
NON-FICTION WRITING
A Community of Resilience: A Reflection on African Americans in Our County, 250th History Series: Shenandoah County Virginia 1772-2022,
Book 9: August 2022.
"A Dream Deferred Along Holman's Creek" in Slavery's Descendants: Shared Legacies of Race and Reconciliation edited by Jill Strauss &
Dionne Ford, Rutgers University Press, 2019.
"Blue Ridge Heritage Project: Appreciating the Sacrifice of Ancestors" and "Shenandoah Valley Farmers Markets: Good for
the Community, Good for You!" in Shenandoah Living, Jul/Aug 2018.
"Fort Valley Nursery & Woodstock Garden Cafe: An Inside Look at a Garden Cafe" in Shenandoah Living, May/Jun 2018.
"Slice of Life: A Sacred Space" in Elan, Mar 2018.
"Faith in the Golden Years: Cultivating Dignity Among Diversity" in Shenandoah Living, Mar/Apr 2018.
"Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project: Recovering & Restoring the Valley's Rich History for All" in Shenandoah Living, Jan/Feb 2018.
"The North Star, A Walking Stick, and a Yellow Plane" in VaHomeschoolers Voice, Vol 24: No 1, Jan-Feb 2018.
"The Resilience of Belle Grove" in Shenandoah Living, Nov/Dec 2017.
Readers' Notes: in Ruminate Magazine, Issue 41, Winter 2016-2017.
Readers' Notes: Thoughts on Being Known in Ruminate Magazine, Issue 37, Winter 2015-2016.
"Living on a Self-Sustaining Farm in Mid-20th Century Virginia" in "Wisdom from our Elders," Mother Earth News, 2012.
Chameleon Sky, Kingdoms in the Wild Press, February 2023.
POETRY IN LITERARY JOURNALS & ANTHOLOGIES
"The OKness We Bring" upcoming in Elegies for Victims of State-Sponsored Violence, an anthology by Moonstone Art Center, 2024.
"A New Home" and
"Sieved with Galium Aparine" in Collected Winning Poems from The Poetry Society of Virginia, 2024.
"An Aura of the Unknown" in Art on the Trails: Legacy, September 2024.
"Recalling the Uncalled,"
"Star-Dreams,"
"Stilt-Walking in the Mud,"
"To Shadow Play with Stars,"
"Without You" in Louisiana Literature, Spring 2024.
"The Gilding of Peace" in GROUND, Issue 2, 2023.
"There's a Tree in Narok,"
"...with another," and
"Within a Chrysalis" in Collected Winning Poems from The Poetry Society of Virginia, 2023.
"Homeless Heart" in Culinary Origami Journal, March 31, 2023.
"Lifeline,"
"A Simple Table Stained,"
"Therapeutics of a Rent Heart,"
"Promising the World," and
"Ad Infinitum" in Arboreal Literary Magazine, Issue 1, February 2023.
"The Slow Burn of the Mill" in Kitchen Quarterly Review, Issue xxiii.ii, 2023.
"Wavesong of a Marsh" in Chariot Press Literary Journal, Winter 2022.
"An Axion" in Wild Roof Journal, Issue 15, July 2022.
"Beyond the Window" in The Bluebird Word, June 2022.
"A Curse or a Gift" in Stoneboat Literary Journal, Issue 12.1, Spring 2022.
"Anemones Slice into Heirloom" in The Elevation Review, National Poetry Month, 2022.
"Stuck Awake" in It's Twelve O'Clock Poetry Anthology, Wingless Dreamer, August 2021.
"A Form Well-Loved" in Crosswinds Poetry Journal, 2021.
"Holding a Placenta" in The West Trade Review, Spring 2020.
"Unfolding Beauty" in Lucky Jefferson, Spring 2020.
"One Summer With Claudia,"
"Riverwater Slips Into Unshakeable Night," and
"Clouds Cloak Like a Pallid Night" in Poetry Virginia 2019, Poetry Society of Virginia, February 2020.
"I Walk Through" in Cumberland River Review, Issue 9-1, January 2020.
"Bakelite on the Beach" in Flyway Journal for Writing and Environment, November 8, 2019.
"A More Gentle Touch" in the winnow, Summer 2019.
"A Paper Chain of Immigrants" and
"Illuminating Raccoons" in Watershed Review, Spring 2019.
"First Words Read" in Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Vol. IV, 2019.
"Like Lichen Lingering" in Rattle's Poets Respond, December 9, 2018.
"Red Flecks on a Veneer of Black" in Scintilla Magazine, Issue 11, 2018.
"A Weary Pattern of Dissolved Shell" in Scintilla Magazine, Issue 11, 2018.
"Know My Native Name" in Gone Lawn, 29, Summer 2018.
"Beyond the Falling" in Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Vol. III, 2018.
"Then a Glint" in Raven Chronicles, Vol. 25: Balancing Acts, Winter 2017.
"Into the Depths" in Horn & Ivory Zine, 05 September: A Deepening, 2017.
"(Dis)ambiguation,"
"Müllerian Mimicry," and
"Like a Fallen Angel" in Adelaide Literary Magazine, July 2017.
"I Found Heaven Once,"
"When Thread Thins," and
"The Kenyan Serengeti" in Colere, 2017.
"The Ancient Stick" in Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Vol. II, 2017.
"Irezumi" in Claudius Speaks, 2017.
"In This Thin Place" in Virginia Literary Journal, Vol. 3.
"Something More Than Wine" in Multimedia: Poetry, Judd's Hill, 2016.
"Delicate Forms" in From the Depths, 2016.
"The Disclosure of Death" and
"An Oak in Winter" in Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Vol. I, 2016.
"Perched Atop the Red Stool" in From the Depths, 2015.
"Remember When" in Latest Works From the Depths, Haunted Waters Press, October 25, 2015.
"Earth-clad Potatoes" in From the Depths, Summer issue, 2014.
"The Big Blue Box" in From the Depths, Spring issue, 2014.
"The Cotton Apron" in From the Depths, Spring issue, 2013.
"Parched and Sparse" in Evangel, 2009.
"It's They Who Watch 'Til Light" in Poetry From the Valley of Virginia, Loft Press, 1998.
NON-FICTION WRITING
A Community of Resilience: A Reflection on African Americans in Our County, 250th History Series: Shenandoah County Virginia 1772-2022,
Book 9: August 2022.
"A Dream Deferred Along Holman's Creek" in Slavery's Descendants: Shared Legacies of Race and Reconciliation edited by Jill Strauss &
Dionne Ford, Rutgers University Press, 2019.
"Blue Ridge Heritage Project: Appreciating the Sacrifice of Ancestors" and "Shenandoah Valley Farmers Markets: Good for
the Community, Good for You!" in Shenandoah Living, Jul/Aug 2018.
"Fort Valley Nursery & Woodstock Garden Cafe: An Inside Look at a Garden Cafe" in Shenandoah Living, May/Jun 2018.
"Slice of Life: A Sacred Space" in Elan, Mar 2018.
"Faith in the Golden Years: Cultivating Dignity Among Diversity" in Shenandoah Living, Mar/Apr 2018.
"Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project: Recovering & Restoring the Valley's Rich History for All" in Shenandoah Living, Jan/Feb 2018.
"The North Star, A Walking Stick, and a Yellow Plane" in VaHomeschoolers Voice, Vol 24: No 1, Jan-Feb 2018.
"The Resilience of Belle Grove" in Shenandoah Living, Nov/Dec 2017.
Readers' Notes: in Ruminate Magazine, Issue 41, Winter 2016-2017.
Readers' Notes: Thoughts on Being Known in Ruminate Magazine, Issue 37, Winter 2015-2016.
"Living on a Self-Sustaining Farm in Mid-20th Century Virginia" in "Wisdom from our Elders," Mother Earth News, 2012.
