Michelle
Hoeckel-Neal

After earning her Master's in Creative Writing from the University of Maine, Michelle worked as an academic advisor at a local university. Now, she is pursuing a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, which is located unsurrendered and unceded traditional lands of the Wolastoqiyik.

Michelle writes short fiction, poetry, and hybrid genres. She is the author of the poetry chapbook, Near You: Poems in Co-Respondence (Emergency Flash Mob Press, 2026). Her words have appeared in online and print publications, including The League of Canadian Poets' Poetry Pause, Peachfuzz Magazine, Every Day Fiction, JAKE Magazine, and more.

A second chapbook of flash fiction, titled Object (of) Permanence, is forthcoming with Gridlock Lit later this year.

She is interested in creative writing pedagogy, particularly decolonial, feminist, queer, and anti-racist approaches. Her recent research focuses on networks of care within and among marginalized communities.

Michelle loves to cook, explore the city with her wife and friends, and lounge at home with her cat.