Courtney O'Banion Smith

ABOUT

Courtney O'Banion Smith

Poet, Writer, Editor, Teacher, Speaker
Courtney O'Banion Smith has a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Poetry from Texas State University-San Marcos. Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Arts in Theopoetics and Writing at Bethany Theological Seminary. She has worked on the board of several literary journals and poetry organizations including the Houston Poetry & Arts Festival. A Pushcart Prize nominee, her work has appeared online and in print in various publications including Southwestern American Literature; Poetic Asides, a Writer’s Digest poetry blog; The Ekphrastic Review, Relief, and Barren Magazine.  In addition to spoken word performances and public readings of her work, she has presented on topics ranging from visual literacy and race, multi-modal delivery of literature in the classroom, persona poetry, and creativity and God. Her collection, In Fidelity, is the 2022 winner of the Catherine Case Lubbe Manuscript Award presented by the Poetry Society of Texas. She resides in Houston where she teaches writing, and she and her partner care for their two sons and one neurotic dog.

NEWS & UPDATES

The Mutable Hour brought to you by Mutabilis Press

May 2024 Events

May is crazy for so many reasons when you’re a teacher…when you’re a student…when you’re both! But I’m hanging in there. It helps to have some exciting things to look forward to. Here are a couple I’m excited to share: Wednesday, May 15 – The Mutable Hour hosted by Mutabilis Press – 7 pm CST […]

A screenshot of the acceptance email for #AWP2023 panel

AWP 2023

I will be attending AWP 2023 in Seattle, WA from March 8-12 at the Seattle Convention Center. As a part of the AWP Two-Year College Creative Writing Caucus (say that three times fast), I am the moderator and a presenter on panel T158, It’s Possible: Advocating for Two-Year College Creative Writing Students. Here’s the description: […]

A vintage drawing of a blue and black swallow tail butterfly with one black spot on each wing

In/Fidelity – 2022 Catherine Case Lubbe Manuscript Winner

My manuscript, In/Fidelity, was selected as the winner of the 2022 Catherine Case Lubbe Manuscript Contest hosted by the Poetry Society of Texas! The book is in production and should be out soon. I am so honored and thrilled that my manuscript was chosen by Bruce Bond, one of my favorite contemporary poets. Parts of […]