Ali Pinkney 02/04/1991
Literary CV
Education
University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2023 MA English Literature Creative Writing Thesis IPR
Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada
2021 MA English Literature Thesis “Percy Shelley’s Winged Thought” (with distinction) CGPA 4.13
2017 BA Honours English & Creative Writing (with distinction) CGPA 3.79
Academic Employment
University of Toronto Department of English
Winter 2022 Teaching Assistant Eng 289H Creative Writing (Dr. Robert McGill)
Fall 2021 Teaching Assistant Eng 289H Creative Writing (Dr. Ian Williams)
Concordia University Department of English
2020-2021 Teaching Assistant Engl 340 Modernism (Dr. Stephen Ross)
2020 Teaching Assistant Engl 354 Narrative Theory (Dr. Cynthia Quarrie)
2020 Research Assistant (Dr. Hsuan Hsu) Proofread "The Smell of Risk," NYU Press 2021
2020 Teaching Assistant Engl 224 The Creative Process (Prof. Kate Bligh)
2019-2020 Directorial Assistant of Writers Read (Director Sina Queyras) Literary event series
2019 Conference leader and weekly lecturer Engl 262 British Literature 1660-1900 (Dr. Jonathan
Sachs)
McGill University Department of Religion
2016 Research Assistant (Dr. A. Sharma) Copyedited, planned global event at Palais du Congrès
2015 Research Assistant (Dr. A. Marion) Copyedited, proofread article for SUNY Press
Awards, Scholarships, Funded Residencies, Grants
University of Toronto Graduate School of Arts and Science
2021-2022 National Social Sciences and Humanities Research Canada Award
2021 Avie Bennett Emerging Writers Entrance Scholarship
Concordia University Graduate School of Arts and Science
2020 David McKeen Award for Top Creative Writing in the Graduate Department
2019 Ruth and David Steinberg Creative Writing Entrance Scholarship
2019 Faculty of Arts & Science Fellowship
2022 Ontario Council for the Arts Grant
2019 Scholarship at The Home School Hudson, Hudson, New York, USA
2019 Research Creation Grant Conseil des arts et des Lettres du Québec
2018 Scholarship at The Banff Centre, Banff, Alberta, Canada
Publications
Book-length Literary Publications
2022 “Roadkill Croque Monsieur” Bad Books Press, Montreal. [Fiction novella]
2014 “Tampion” Metatron Press, Montreal. [Experimental poetry]
Print-Only Publications
“Stain;” “The Messenger and his Pigeon Gun.” Three poems. Guest no. 15: House House Press via
above/ground press, Ottawa, December 2020.
“Roadkill Croque Monsieur Part One: Bonin." Bad Nudes Anthology, Bad Books Press, 2019.
“Minstrel Maid;” “Oil Grotto.” Poetry. 100 Poems Issue, Matrix Magazine, 2015.
“Poetic Foreword” for Proprioception by Marie Jane Segolene C. Brault Photography Book, Book
Label Press, 2015, Montreal.
“Spindle.” Poetry. Portraits Issue, The Void Magazine, 2014, pp. 26.
“60%;” “Slippery.” Poetry. Volume 1, 2, Weijia Quarterly, Montreal, 2012-13.
“Jean Jacket Boy;” “Oil Grotto.” Poetry. The Collected Works of Tracey Dion Cooper, Concordia
University Press, 2012.
“In Very Mountainous Country;” “Equal Opportunities;” “Coloc.’” Headlight Anthology 15,
Concordia University Press, 2012.
“Sargasso Sea.” Poetry. How Could This Happen vol. 10, issue 1, The Void Magazine, 2011, pp.
28-29, 2012.
“Bastard Grandfather.” Fiction. no. 55, Synapse, 2011. Printed broadside.
Web-Only Publications
“Roadkill Croque Monsieur Part Two: Thorp Excerpt.” Fiction. Issue 5.1, Bad Nudes Magazine,
February 2020, Web. http://badnudes.com/fiction.html#pinkney
“Fifth Snifter and the Amberoid Ashtray.” Poetry Suite (4 poems) Issue 1.1, Bad Nudes
Magazine, October 2016, Web. http://www.badnudes.com/issue1.1/#ali
“The Incubus and the Meter Maid.” Experimental Non-Fiction. The Town Crier, The Puritan,
January 18, 2016, Web. http://towncrier.puritan-magazine.com/ephemera/alipinkney/.
“Peal, Chime, Toll.” Poem. Everyday Genius, 2015, Web. http://www.everyday
genius.com/2014/11/ali-pinkney.html.
“False Preciousness & Simple Continual Belonging.” Non-Fiction. Metatron Press Website, May
2014, Web. http://www.onmetatron.org/non-fiction/ali-pinkney-2/.
“Tampion Excerpt: Ouija Board Conversation” Omega Blog, Metatron Press, May 2014, Web.
http://metatron.press/omega/page/27/.
Print & Web
Poetic Statement. Theory. Issue 2.3, Bad Nudes Magazine, July 2017, Print.
Web. http://www.badnudes.com/issue2.3/.
Three Poems. vol 32, issue 24: The Many Shades of Strike. Special Insert: The Annual Women’s
Issue: Featured Poet. 3 Poems by Ali Pinkney, The Link Newspaper, March 2012, Print.
Web. https://thelinknewspaper.ca/article/a-selection-of-poems.
“Hot n Heavy;” “In Very Mountainous Country.” Poetry. 16.1, Soliloquies Anthology, 2012, Print.
Web. https://issuu.com/soliloquiesanthology/docs/solil16.1.
Interviews
2022 Episode 4. Featured writer on Metacösm Podcast series with host Brad Casey, Metatron Press.
2022 Featured writer nothing/in particular interview series with Sophie McCreesh
https://www.nothinginparticular.online/interviews/ali-pinkney
2017 Featured in McGill University Anthropology of Poetry Documentary
2012 Soliloquies Anthology Interview & Poem Reading https://soundcloud.com/soliloquies-concordia/ali-pinkney
Literary Event Curation
Writers Read 2019: Concordia University’s Visiting Writer Reading Series Accommodation and event room bookings, publicity, administration and billing, orchestration, host/emcee, archival work
December 5 Writing Lives: Creative, Critical, and Bodily Activisms, Rituals of Mourning at 4th
Space Concordia featuring Sue Goyette, Sue Sinclair, and Larissa Lai
December 5 A Masterclass with Sue Goyette
November 6 Margaret Christakos in Conversation with Sina Queyras
October 25 Writers Read & Concordia Graduate Student Association: Kathryn Mockler & Erin
Robinsong: A Reading &Workshop on Poetry & Climate Change Activism
October 24 Writers Read & Ecotones 6 & CISSC: David Chariandy & Shazia Hafiz Ramji
Post/Colonial Ports: Place and Nonplace in the Ecotone at 4th Space Concordia
October 18 Writers Read: A Masterclass with Doireann Ní Ghríofa
October 17 Writers Read & The School of Canadian Irish Studies & Aboriginal Territories in
Cyberspace: An Evening of Irish and Choctaw Poetry with Doireann Ní Ghríofa and
LeAnne Howe
October 2016 Introduction at Writers Read Presents Jeramy Dodds & Don McKay
Off the Page Festival Concordia 2013; 2016 Student-run literary festivals
2016 Off the Page ft. Anne Boyer, Damian Rogers, Trish Salah, Johanna Skibsrud, Suzanne Buffam
Sarah Burgoyne, Jowita Bydlowska, Fawn Parker, Madelyne Beckles, Anna Leventhal, Lisa Robertson (Co-curator).
2016 Debbie an Epic: A Marathon Reading of Lisa Robertson in conjunction w/ Writers Read
(Co-Curator with Mick Hennessey, host).
2013 The Single Line: Telephone Voicemail Reading Series ft. original Christian Bök spoke poem,
“Emergency” (Co-curator, co-creator with Michael Chaulk).
2013 Off the Page with Public Poetics VAV Gallery (Emcee).
Literary Performances
Featured Reader. “Landfall” Series with Andata Press. The Plumb Gallery, Toronto, Ontario. April 9 2022.
Student Reader. MA Creative Writing Year 1 Gala. University of Toronto, March 8 2022.
Featured Reader. Greetings NYC with Filip Marinovich, Leah Barber, Jesse Morse. December 19 2021.
Special Guest. Fawn Parker Toronto “Dumb Show” launch. The Tranzac, Toronto, Ontario. December 11 2021.
Featured Reader. Metatron Press "Swimsuit Moon." Catherine Fatima, Hanna Karpinski, Faith Paré. August 12 2021.
Featured Reader. Anteism Press x Metatron Virtual Reading. March 21 2021.
Reader. Metatron Press Virtual Memorial Marathon for Diane di Prima, Zoom. 11 November 2020.
Reader. JM Francheteau's One-Off Reading Series. "Jinréad." at Brasserie Beaubien 19 September 2019.
Poet in Residence. The Home School Hudson Student Readings. Time & Space Ltd., Hudson New York August 2019.
Featured Poet. "Dead System Man," and "Horse Song." Evacuating the Homunculus Lyric Ballad Band. ft. Asher
Woodhead, (fka Doldrums) synthesizer, and Sam C. Davis (Los Angeles), guitar. Bentley Chamber. Banff,
Alberta. 12 December 2018.
Poet in Residence. Red Suite (Fifth Snifter, Syrah, Stain). Banff Centre Late Fall Writers Retreat Reading Night with
Alex Leslie. Bentley Chamber. Banff, Alberta. 6 December 2018.
Special Guest. "Angel in the Outfield." Poetry. Bad Nudes Magazine 3.3 Issue Launch. 6 August 2018.
Performer. “Assiniboine, Nosedive, Fog.” 40 minute Poetic solo w/ improvised accompaniment; trumpet and stand-up
bass. Cross-Pollination: October 13, 2017. Pollination Lab. 10 des Pins, Montreal QC.
Special Guest. “The Slerm.” Metamoon Reading. Gamma-Godberd (August 2017) Montreal
Special Guest. “Road Kill Croque Monsieur.” Milk Lab: Moon Milk Poetry Show Case (Summer 2017) Dilly Dally,
Halifax NS.
Reader. “The Slerm; Tampion” The Bloody Chamber Reading Series; The Maggie Monologues Launch (November
2016) Bebenek House, Montreal, QC.
Special Guest. “Road Kill Croque Monsieur.” Metatron Launch (November 2016) La Sala Rosa, Montreal, QC.
Special Guest. “Fifth Snifter.” Coach House Book Launch: Laura Broadbent’s In on the Great Joke , Coach House
Press (October 2016) Librarie Drawn & Quarterly, Montreal, QC.
Contributor. “Fifth Snifter.” Bad Nudes Magazine Launch (October 2016) Montreal, QC
Featured Writer. “Road Kill Croque Monsieur.” Wavelength Music Festival Literary Stage, Toronto Island (August
2016) Toronto, ON.
Special Guest. “Non Parent: Experimental Accordion Poem.” Wonder Press (NYC) x Metatron (MTL) Drawn and Quarterly. April 2016. Montreal, QC.
Featured Writer. Art Matters Festival opening party: Dreamscapes. Montréal, 2015.
Special Guest. “Wooden Box from Costa Rica.” Weijia Quarterly Launch of Issue 3 (2014) Montreal, QC.
Contributor. Weijia Quarterly Launch of Issue 1 (2012) Montreal, QC.
Regular October Edition Reader Matrix Lit Pop (2013-2015), Various. Montreal, QC.
Selected honoree. My Paris Marathon in Recognition of Gail Scott (October, 2014) Concordia University Department
of English & Université de Montreal Etudes Anglaises & Lemon Hound
Regular Feature. Metatron Events, including Launch of Press (Various 2013-2014)
Reader. Resonance Reading Series (2014) Montreal, QC.
Emcee. Public Poetics in Collaboration w/ Off the Page, EmCee (2013) VA Gallery, Montreal QC.
Regular Feature. This is Happening Whether You Like it or Not (Various 2012)
Undergraduate feature. International English Literature Graduate Colloquiam Closing Ceremonies (Feb2012)
Concordia University, Montreal QC.
Contributor, Special Guest. The Void Magazine Launches & Events (Various, 2011-2012) Montreal, QC.
Contributor, Special Guest. Soliloquies Anthology Launches & Events (Various, 2012-2016) Montreal, QC.
Contributor, Special Guest. Headlight Anthology Launches & Events (Various, 2012-2013) Montreal, QC.
Special Guest. Scrivener Review with McGill Literary Society (2012) Montreal, QC.
Contributor. "Sargasso Sea." The Room 22: In a Garden. (2011) Montreal, QC.
Undergraduate feature. Synapse no. 55 (2011) Montreal, QC.
Contributor. Love and Lashings Chapbook launch (2011) Montreal, QC.
Speciality Training in Literary Craft
University of Toronto Department of English in the Field of Creative Writing Toronto ON (2021-2023)
One on one Meetings with Established Literary Mentor for novel-length thesis project 2022-2023
Masters Level Mix-Genre Workshop with Robert McGill and Richard Greene 2021-2022
The Homeschool Hudson in Hudson, New York July-August 2019
(Soma)tic Poetry Ritual creation with C.A. Conrad (Columbia University); Poetry & Theory masterclass with Fred Moten (New York University); Poetry workshop with Dawn Lundy Martin (University of Pittsburgh); Poetry workshop with Anne Boyer (Kansas City Art Institute); Poetry, Theory, & Music workshop with Jackie Wang (Harvard University); Poetry & Theory workshop with Ariana Reines (Columbia University)
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Banff, Alberta December 2018
Time in narrative workshop with Zsuzsi Gartner (University of British Columbia); Space in narrative workshop with Alex Leslie (University of British Columbia)
Concordia University Department of Creative Writing in Montréal, Québec (2010-2020)
Masters Level Poetry with Stephanie Bolster 2019-20; Independent Study in Experimental Science Fiction Novel with Sina Queyras 2017; Creative Non-Fiction with Terrence Byrnes 2017; Curating and Archiving the Literary Event with Sina Queyras 2016; Experimental Poetry with Sina Queyras 2016; Advanced Fiction with Trevor Ferguson 2014-15; Creative Non-Fiction with Mikhail Iossel 2013; Introduction to Fiction with Sina Queyras 2011-12; Advanced Poetry with Jon Paul Fiorentino 2011-12; Writing for Film: Scriptwriting with Roy Cross 2011; Introduction to Playwriting with Kate Bligh 2010-11; Introduction to Poetry with Sina Queyras 2010-11
Master Classes and Lectures with Visiting Writers at Concordia University & University of Toronto
Liz Harmer (2022); Phoebe Wang (2022); Carmine Starnino (2022); Michael Prior (2022); Sue Goyette (2019); Doireann Ní Ghríofa (2019); Eileen Myles (2018); Ariana Reines (2017); Claudia Rankine (2016); Evie Shockley & Trish Salah (2016); Lisa Robertson (2016); Suzanne Buffam, Damian Rogers (2016); Jeramy Dodds & Don McKay (2016); Dionne Brand (2016); Phindar Dulai (2016); Paula Meehan (2015); Ben Lerner (2016); Andre Alexis (2015); Chris Kraus (2012); Juliana Spahr (2012); Lydia Davis (2011); Roddy Doyle (2011); Kevin Barry (2011); Bob Holman & Anne Waldman (2011).
Volunteerism & Mentorship
Current Poetry tutor/mentor One on one meetings to develop student’s poetic skillset
2022 First reader and shortlist curator on Metatron Press Metatron Prize
2015 Project10 Queer Youth Centre Poetry Workshop Series Co-Creator
Affiliations
Shakespearean Motley College with Filip Marinovich
Via Zoom October 2020-Present
Tri-weekly astrologically aligned
Group poetry reading, discussion, education
and free-writing and workshop
with group of poets based in New York City
Invisible College with Ariana Reines
via Zoom May 2020-Ongoing
Joe Brainard Brain Trust;
Gnostic Summer (Nag Hammadi Bible,
Song of Songs).
The Wild Extended: Zoom Reading
Group on De-Colonial & Queer Theory
Spring/Summer 2020
w/ Dr. Jesse Arseneault & fellow students
of the Graduate Department of English
Literature at Concordia University.
Centre for Expanded Poetics
Research Groups
2020 Kant’s Critique of Judgement
2020-2021 The Jena Romantic Fragment
2021 Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit