A. Riel Regan is a queer, disabled author of poetry and fiction with an intense appreciation for "the human heart in conflict with itself," as Faulkner said.
Hi, I'm A. Riel Regan.
I’m a queer, disabled author of poetry and fiction with an intense appreciation for “the human heart in conflict with itself,” as Faulkner said. My writing often deals with themes of conflict within the self, chronic illness, knowing oneself through nature, and interpersonal strife. My poetry has been featured in or is forthcoming from Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, the Kentucky State Poetry Society’s Pegasus, Flare Magazine, The Curious Nothing, HOOT Review, Emerge Literary Journal, The Forgotten Writer, new words, Exist Otherwise, THE YELLING CONTINUES, and Impossible Task. When not writing or reading, I find themselves killing half my houseplants and boldly defending the other half from my cat. Find me at @riwritesatnight on Instagram or Bluesky!
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Writing Interests
Nature often centers in my writing, which simultaneously explores interpersonal and intrapersonal conflict. I am experimenting more with surrealism in my poetry, and "risking clarity" as Gabrielle Bates once said. When it comes to fiction, I find joy writing magical realism, fantasy, and sci-fi, as well as interactive stories. I also write plays (about pirates!) and pagan spiritual texts.
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More
Born in California and raised in Kentucky, I was always outside as a child, most often barefoot. I was born amid the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and found my way to Appalachia as a student. I am currently working on my thesis for my MFA in Poetry from Georgia State University, and I have a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Thomas More University.
My personal interests include disability studies, queer studies, social justice, environmental science, park/river sweeps, animals/nature, gardening/houseplants, graphic design, theater, crochet, tabletop games, video games, and renaissance faires.
Publications[the hospital room that i'm not in]
FLARE Magazine. Forthcoming.Idiopathic Hypersomnia w/ Long Sleep Time
FLARE Magazine. Forthcoming.I. My Therapist Tells Me to Practice “I” Statements
new words, Issue 7. Forthcoming.Atlas
HOOT Review. Forthcoming.YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT DEATH MORE.
THE YELLING CONTINUES.beautiful wisteria
The Forgotten Writer, Issue 1.ARTEMIS
Exist Otherwise, Issue 14.Substance
Emerge Literary Journal.Kiss of Life
new words, Issue 6.Savor
Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, Volume 27: Appalachian Fusion.Wounded Kitchen
Impossible Task, Issue 11.i Flinch and Say
The Curious Nothing, Volume 1.Chekhov’s Gun
The Curious Nothing, Volume 1.Gossipstopper
The Curious Nothing, Volume 1.OTHERWORLD
Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, Volume 26: The Strange, Stranger, Estranged Side of Appalachia.Girl in the River
Pegasus.Belief in the City
Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, Volume 25: Appalachia (Un)Masked.×
Literary JournalsFive Points, Volume 24, No. 1. Assistant editor. Georgia State University. 2024. Print.Five Points, Volume 23, No. 2. Assistant editor. Georgia State University. 2023. Print.Five Points, Volume 23, No. 1. Assistant editor. Georgia State University. 2023. Print.Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, Volume 26: Strange, Stranger, Estranged. Editorial assistant. Dos Madres Press. 2023. Print.Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, Volume 25: Appalachia (Un)Masked. Editorial assistant. Dos Madres Press. 2022. Print.WORDS. Managing editor, layout editor, cover designer. Thomas More University. 2020 Edition. Print.WORDS. Managing editor. Thomas More University. 2019 Edition. Print.WORDS. Editor. Thomas More University. 2018 Edition. Print.×ProjectsBook/poetry. Earthing — Land, Spirit, and Beast. A collection of poems that seeks to traverse the natural word that exists inside of and around us all.Book/poetry. Substance: Me and Mine. A collection of poems examining mental illness and recovery, and the special space mental illness takes up in one’s heart.Book/poetry. Poems for ▇▇. A collection of poems that follows a relationship from childish and loving, to deep and committed, to toxic and crumbling, and the aftermath thereof. Explores how one’s identity can become tangled with another’s when in a relationship, and the struggle to untangle it when the relationship is over.Book/poetry. Working title: Banished from the Arbor. A collection of poems exploring a long-term friendship, a fallout, and a glimmer of hope.Book/poetry. On Homeplace. A collection of poems exploring the concepts of homeplace, homecoming, family, and wanderlust.Short fiction. Working title: Once Auburn. Mystical realism. Follows a man who becomes enraptured with a woman he sees at his local coffee shop. Around the same time, he meets a fox who becomes quite comfortable in his presence. Lines begin to blur, and perceptions warp.Short fiction. Working title: Distance. Traditional fiction. The story of two sisters and their cousin as they grow up and try to maintain their relationships in a family stricken by conflict driven by the military service, opiate addiction, and imprisonment of the two sisters’ father.Short fiction. Voidwater. Science fiction. Humans have done a lot of destruction to our planet, but what we don’t know is that we weren’t the first. When we go to the deep oceans to escape our destruction, we find more than we were looking for.Book/novel. Polychrome. Fantasy. A vignette-style story of devotion, revolution, and necessity in a society much unlike our own.Theatrical production. Colours of the Company. A multi-ended, interactive play about what it really means to be a pirate.Guided journal. A Witch’s Devotional Journal: 365 Prompts to Explore and Deepen Your Craft. A journal of 365 devotional prompts — similar to many Christian devotional journals — but for witches, pagans, and anyone else who likes the idea of a devotional journal but doesn't fit the target audience for others. The journal consists of mindfulness prompts of varying lengths and complexities, enough space to journal, and twelve guided moon cycles under which to celebrate dedicating yourself to your craft. The sections we have lovingly crafted for writers to focus on are Growth & Energy; Body, Mind, & Spirit; Practice; and Shadow Work. There is also a small Reflections section at the end, which isn't associated with any specific moon phase. There are special prompts for each full moon, sabbat, and section transition.×If you're a publisher and any of these projects interest you, contact me!
No events scheduled.Follow me on Instagram or Bluesky @riwritesatnight for updates!