Marianne Kunkel is a food poet, prize-winning author and piemaker based in Kansas City. She writes about appetite in all its forms.
Where Poetry Meets Pie
Marianne is the author of Hillary, Made Up and The Laughing Game, and her work has appeared in Best American Poetry, The Threepenny Review, Hayden’s Ferry Review and more. She is the winner of Frontier Poetry’s 2024 OPEN Prize and a Professor of English at Johnson County Community College. When she’s not writing, she’s rolling out pie crust, and her pies are just as carefully crafted as her poems.
Featured Poem by Marianne Kunkel
Marianne is thrilled for her poem “Apostate Abecedarian” (which originally appeared in The Threepenny Review) to be included in this year’s Best American Poetry anthology!
Poetry, A First Love
Let’s talk poetry and pie. Marianne is available for panels, readings and conference appearances. She has a particular interest in food poetry and the intersection between creative and academic life. To ask about her availability, use the contact form below or DM her on Instagram at @asliceofpoetry.
These are funny, touching poems that introduce us to a poet of great skill and exacting insight.
-Kwame Dawes, on “Hillary, Made Up”
Pies, A Second Language
For Marianne, baking and writing have always made sense together. Both are made by hand, both best when they’re shared. She bakes pies to order in the Kansas City area and posts her creations on Instagram at @asliceofpoetry.
Latest News and Publications
What I Mean When I Say I Want to Hold My Grandmother When She Was a Baby
Marianne’s grandma, Ruth Montgomery, now 94, was the inspiration for this poem, recently featured in Hawaii Pacific Review.
Pie Lady
When pies and poems converge! Marianne’s poem, Pie Lady, was recently accepted for publication in CALYX, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women.
Work with Marianne
Whether you’re looking for a voice on your next panel or a pie for your next gathering, Marianne would love to connect with you.
Marianne Kunkel 