Traci Brimhall will be the Red Barn Studio Artist-in-Residence from August 9th-22nd, 2026.
Traci is a poet living and working in Manhattan. She is the current Poet Laureate of Kansas and teaches creative writing at Kansas State University. Traci is the author of five collections of poetry and a forthcoming essay collection. Her poetry has been called “unrelenting, incisive, and tender.” Traci’s current project, Patient History, explores the intersection between disability and ecopoetics, offering a unique perspective that blends the two. As part of her creative process, Traci has also been exploring the book arts as a way to connect physical, literary, and visual modes of creation. Traci makes small book arts projects to carry around with her, in hopes of meeting inspiration while on the move and in nature. These pocket-sized objects help her combine the physical process of walking with the physical process of writing.
As part of her work as the Kansas Poet Laureate, Traci has sought to “bring the nourishment of language to all Kansans,” an endeavor that continues during her residency. On Wednesday, August 12th from 5:30-7:30pm, Traci will lead a book arts workshop and teach everyone how to make a small pocket journal they can have with them for the poetry walk (or for any occasion where they want a journal in their pocket). Traci will lead a walk and write session in Riverside Park where participants will walk trails and pause to read poems and write lines.
To register for Traci’s workshop, please click the link below.
If you’d like to keep up with Traci, please visit her on her social media pages: @Our_lady_of_nod (Instagram), @poetlaureateofkansas (TikTok), and Traci Brimhall (Facebook).
