About the Writer
Raised simultaneously between Atlanta and Columbus, Georgia, where she switched homes during the week, Kianna has always lived in the uncertainty of the in-between. Surrounded by the effects of mental illness, both her own and that of family members, Kianna has used writing as a means to express the inexpressible language she’s held within herself — the language of fear, longing, and loneliness.
Kianna began writing as a child, writing diary entries, poems, and stories. Even before she knew of pen and paper, her mouth carried the lyrics of songs she would write for her mother. For as long as Kianna has loved the dance between words and their meanings, she has also loved learning. With “Teacher” as her favorite childhood game, Kianna has always dreamed of becoming an educator.
Kianna moved to Orlando, Florida in 2017 to pursue a BA in English (Creative Writing) at the University of Central Florida, from which she graduated summa cum laude in May 2021. As an undergrad, Kianna minored in Spanish, earned her Teaching English as a Second Language (TEFL) certificate, worked as a substitute teacher, and volunteered with the Adult Literacy League as an ESL tutor.
Becoming a Christian at age eighteen, Kianna began writing against the backdrop of hope she had found in her faith. Her life’s work became to write something worthy of the grace she’s been given, using language as a vehicle to discuss grief, memory, daughterhood, and the generational effects of trauma.
In May 2024, Kianna earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Florida. She now teaches creative writing in the English department as a full-time lecturer.