Well, to begin, I’m the girl on the left—and the girl on the left is a graduate student in the Master of Arts in Professional Writing Program (MAPW) at Kennesaw State University. Here, she had just finished drafting her first poetry chapbook and had decided to pose for the camera while sitting in her living room. Oh, those poetry students! They’re always seeking beauty, even from the mundanity of a pullout couch. 

My name is Heather Voraphongphibul, and as it turns out, seeking the magnificent in the everyday is something I strive for in both my personal life and my writing/teaching life. I was born and raised in a quiet neighborhood in the small city of Dallas, Georgia, and I started writing poems there because ... well, just look at it; there’s something fascinating about how incredible little places, little moments, and little things can be. As the many pictured insects on my website will illustrate, tiny things aren’t so tiny if you look close enough. Exaltation of the miniscule is something much of my creative work aims to highlight. It is now my goal to take my creative practices and knowledge and apply them to the composition classroom—while also gaining some new insights along the way, of course! 

My academic research thus far is largely centered around how even the most subtle words and phrases in the English language contain embedded biases, and they have the power to impact our sense of self and group identities. I am currently using this knowledge set to craft a feminist children’s book. I hope that my attention to implicit biases will come in handy in the classroom as well! 

In short, I’m here because I want to grow as a future educator and create learning spaces that promote creativity, that foster inclusivity and individuality, and that reflect on even the minute aspects of language and the world around us.

When I'm not writing or thinking about teaching, I'm probably drawing, watching anime, or curled up in my recliner with a Shirley Jackson story.