Barbara Fant

Barbara Fant is the author of three poetry collections, Joy in the Belly of a Riot (Amistad Books, 2025), Mouths of Garden (Sundress Publications, 2022), and Paint, Inside Out (Penmanship Books, 2010). Her work has been published or featured in Electric Literature, McNeese Review, The Columbus Anthology, edited by Amanda Page (The Ohio State University Press, 2020), Button Poetry, and Def Poetry Jam. She is a Women of the World Poetry Slam Finalist and a Healing Centered Engagement specialist. She has received residencies in both Cuba and Senegal, West Africa, and has been commissioned by over 20 organizations. She holds both an MFA in poetry and a master’s degree in theological studies. For over 13 years, she has led healing-informed poetry workshops for both youth and adults who are incarcerated, those in community, adults in recovery, and survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence. She works and lives in Los Angeles, California.