Works

Museum of Everyday Life is about what we collect in a lifetime--and what we display. 

Museum of Everyday Life is a place where you come to understand how life began when “fingers begat feathers” and it ends when you, dear reader, “you sit in your chair, / soon empty, and nod.” Read in this book such poems as “That Summer of Hurricanes” with its scene of a man collapsing on the road in the midst of everyday life, where “under the generator hum of evening we turn up our noses” – read it and you will see the music of what happens, as Seamus Heaney called it once. Read this book and you will know that each true poet is a child who sees the world anew and fresh—“she is seven years old, maybe eight. // X hears her speak words / she can yet know.” This is each of us, lost, stumbling in time, in our bodies, trying to speak words we don’t know or understand. And, when we do understand—as Michele Randall does in this wonderful book— and “the sound shatters like cubes of clear ice” – and the music opens – that music of “the nightyears that tasted of ash, and dust, and pepper seeds.” This is a beautiful debut.
-- Ilya Kaminsky 

In Michele Randall's poems, everyday life is generously conceived to include laundry, morning laughter, song, the psychiatric ward, and matters of flesh and spirit. The imagery is fresh and the phrasing thoughtfully turned. What a splendid first book.
-- Carol Frost

Michele Randall’s unflinching narratives kick open the door we close on so much of our lives—the bland and banal, the tragic, the triumphant, the miraculous and mundane—and push us up close, where we have no choice but to look. These poems can’t be turned away from—they represent those snippets of life that frighten and sustain us. They know what we crave.
-- Patricia K. Smith 

A Future Unmappable follows the narrative arc of a mental disease, from the day before a psychotic break to the ward, through treatment, to a return home. Many voices are represented in this book.  

There's a rope between two burning towers. One tower burns anxiously. The other tower (the left side of the brain) burns orderly. Randall is dancing on that rope. It is the motion-a footfall, a locomotive blowing hard, a wave-that keeps her from falling. An ecstasy is a song to motion, to ex-stasis, and Randall belts it true enough to pop the deepest bass string on your Fender Squier guitar.

-Barrett Warner, Why Is It So Hard to Kill You?

These powerful poems erode our physical boundaries leaving us to explore mental illness as a patient and as a caregiver alternatively. With ferocity yet in a ceremony of revelation, Michele Parker Randall's A Future Unmappable artfully discloses the unfathomable struggle of helping a beloved come back from the brink. Honest and courageous, each poem is a study of the much-needed conversation of what it is like to live with and recover from such a destabilizing experience.

-Didi Jackson, Moon Jar

In A Future Unmappable, Michele Parker Randall explores the nakedness of mental uncertainty: What is real? what is not? when "unable to tell the dream-state from the wake-state / Try to free someone from inside a balloon." Muted tension screams in the torque of Randall's lines: "coiledspring / a snake" "between the wardscape / walls" "how many worlds we / fit in one day." These panoptic poems offer a view from the in-between lest any of us be too sure.

-Tanya Grae, Undoll

POETRY

“Mid-heart Dark Star,” poem. Tampa Review. 

“Prayer with Trumpet,” poem. Poetica Review (UK/International). 

“Holding Fast,” poem. Poetica Review (UK/International). 

“Everglade Girls,” poem. Quartet Journal. 

“Sunday Visit,” poem. Stonecoast Review. 

“Three Sisters,” poem. The Write Launch.

“Quiet the Celebration,” poem. The Write Launch. 

“Aut Pax Aut Bellum,” poem. The Write Launch. 

“Oceans Apart,” poem. The Future of America/Moonstone Press. 

“Stone Wall,” poem. RiverSedge. 

“Gape,” poem reprint. Willowdown Books, Lockdown 2.022 Anthology. (Finalist) 

“Devoted,” poem reprint. Willowdown Books, Lockdown 2.022 Anthology. 

“Seeded,” poem. The Writer’s Foundry. 

“Commuter,” poem. The Writer’s Foundry. 

“Murmur,” poem. The Writer’s Foundry. 

“Backstitch,” poem. Novus Literary Arts Journal. 

“Lemons,” poem. Novus Literary Arts Journal. 

“Aventurine,” poem. Novus Literary Arts Journal. 

“Belated Apology,” poem. Novus Literary Arts Journal. 

“Florida Grown,” poem. Green Mountains Review. 

“A Chant in the Bottom of the Boat,” poem. Quartz Literary. 

“Goldfinch,” poem. Princemere Poetry Prize. Runner up. 

“Waiters,” short story. Broad River Review. (FinalistRash Fiction Prize). 

“Hermeneutics,” poem. Broad River Review. (Finalist Rash Poetry Prize). 

“Ad Infinitem,” poem. Reservoir Road Lit Review. 

“Soft the Wrist of Morning,” poem. Adelaide Literary Journal. 

“To Outlast,” poem. Adelaide Literary Journal. 

“Stance,” poem. Hole in the Head Review. 

“Devoted,” poem. Hole in the Head Review. 

“Tea Flower,” poem. Hole in the Head Review. 

“Sand,” poem. Hole in the Head Review. 

“Poem Incorporating Four Lines by Takamura Kōtarō,” poem. Hole in the Head Review. 

“You Can Tell,” poem. Ekphrastic Review. (Finalist Women Artists Challenge). 

“Alternate Tuning,” poem. Snapdragon: a Journal of Art & Healing. 

“That’s Great it Starts with an Earthquake,” poem. Sweet: A Literary Confection, Poetry Contest Issue, (Finalist). 

“You can still look back,” poem. Literary North.

“Hear Me Out,” poem. Aesthetica Magazine (UK). (Short List Aesthetica Creative Writing Award 2020). Poem of the week Jul 13, 2021. 

“Gape,” poem. Opal Literary Review. Issue IV. 

“Planning for Fall,” poem. Iron Horse Literary Review. (Finalist IHLR Photo Finish Ekphrastic Challenge). 

“Waking Hour,” poem. SWWIM. 

“The Greencard’s Kid,” poem. Fantastic Floridas, Burrow Press. 

“Painted Days,” poem. Words and Wonders/City of Orlando. (Fourth Place, 2020 summer poem contest). 

“Go Ahead,” poem. Literary North. 

“Placeholder,” poem. Tar River Poetry. 

“Thirteen Truths,” poem. Common Ground Review, (Honorable Mention 2019 Annual Poetry Contest). 

“Tea Hot, Tea Iced,” poem. Nimrod International Journal, Awards 41 Issue, Oct. 2019. (Semifinalist Pablo Neruda Poetry Prize.) 

“Exigent,” poem. Nimrod International Journal, Awards 41 Issue, Oct. 2019. (Semifinalist Pablo Neruda Poetry Prize.)

Untitled (“As civilization ends”), poem. deLuge Journal. 

“An Explanation of Sorts,” poem. Intima: Journal of Narrative Medicine. 

“Flora & Fauna,” poem. Atlanta Review. 

“Leave it to Samson,” poem. Southampton Review. 

“You hold the world in your hand,” poem. Snapdragon: a Journal of Art & Healing, Inside/Out issue. 

“Anticipation,” poem. The Esthetic Apostle, online & print 

“Oystered,” poem. Bellevue Literary Review. (FinalistMarica and Jan Vilcek Prize for Poetry.)

“If She Had Known,” poem. Tech Effect Ekphrastic Poetry. Online w/ artwork “BackUp” by Ellen de Meijer. (Finalist Palm Beach Poetry Festival Ekphrastic Poetry Contest.)

“From This Side of the Bed,” poem. Open Minds Quarterly. 

“Wax Rhetoric,” poem. Open Minds Quarterly. 

“Friendship Affidavit,” poem. The Perspective Project UK. 

“Phenomenology” poem. Heartland Review. (FinalistJoy Bale Boone Poetry Prize.)

“Dropping a Tree,” poem. Heartland Review. (FinalistJoy Bale Boone Poetry Prize.)

“Ideo Locator,” poem. Florida English (now Orange Blossom Review). 

“The Kingfishers,” poem. Green Mountains Review. 

“Safeguard,” poem. Smartish Pace. Issue 24. (FinalistBeulah Rose Poetry Prize.) 

“Breaking House--a Golden Shovel,” poem. The Golden Shovel Anthology: New Poems Honoring Gwendolyn Brooks, Kahn, Shankar, & Smith eds.

“Dividing Line,” poem. Painted Bride Quarterly.

“Nightwatch Alyssum,” poem. The Potomac Review.

PROSE

“Old and new—two poets I keep returning to are Takamura Kōtarō and Evelyn Araluen,” craft short essay. Quartet Journal.

“Waiters,” short story. Broad River Review. (Finalist Rash Fiction Prize). 

“Critical Reading: Successful Reading Strategies Across the Disciplines.” Conference Proceeding Paper with Megan O’Neil, Leigh Ann Dunning, Yohann Ripert. Network: A Journal of Faculty Development. April 2019. 

Writer Interview interview by Habiba Warren for Opal Literary Review. Issue IV. 

“Strong Beat: Susan Sample’s ‘Indigo’ and the Music of Rhythms,” essay. Intima Journal. 

“Why this Wife is Staying Around.” Essay about Paula McClain’s novel, The Paris Wife. Tygerburning Blog. 

“Chinese Dreams,” fiction, The Newport Review. (Winner, Flash Fiction Contest.)

Conferences & Presentations: 

“We’re Having a Real Bad Time: Tragic Poetry for Tough Times,” panel presentation, 2ndAnnual St. Augustine Poetry Fest, April 14 & 15, 2023. 

“Speak Meaning: How language in neurodivergent narratives is changing how we talk about mental illness,” panel presentation. SAMLA Nov. 10-12, Jacksonville, FL. 2022. 

“‘I Understand it, Now What?’: Revisiting Reading Skills in the College Classroom” panel presentation Chair & “Read Me: Leading with Reading in a Writing Course,” presentation. SAMLA Nov. 4-6, Atlanta, GA. 2021. 

“Writing From Trauma/Lead Me On: Extended Metaphor as Write-around Strategy,” Festival Workshop, JaxbyJax Literary Arts Festival, October 16, 2021. 

“Extended Metaphor as Strategy” Coffee & Craft Chat, Herstry, May 20, 2021. 

“‘From this Side of the Bed’ & other poems,” SAMLA Poet/reading, SAMLA Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, Nov. 16, 2019. 

“Reflections on Deep Reading: Teaching Reading in the College Classroom.” Panel Presentation. Colloquium on Teaching and Learning, Stetson University, DeLand, FL, April 5, 2019. 

“Critical Reading: Successful Reading Strategies Across the Disciplines.” Panel Presentation, the Faculty Resource Network Symposium on Transforming Teaching Through Active Learning, Stetson University, DeLand, FL, Nov. 16-17, 2018. 

“Harnessing the Power of Extended Metaphor in Contemplative Reflection,” Presentation and Workshop. Values Day, Stetson University, DeLand, FL, Sep 25, 2018.

“Ekphrastic Writing—How to Write About Art.” Individual Presentation, Historic Sanford Welcome Center, Sanford, FL. Aug 11, 2018.

“Critical Reading: Pedagogy for All Students.” Panel presentation. Colloquium on Teaching & Learning Innovation, DeLand, FL. Apr 6, 2018. 

“Reflecting on Teaching: the First Step to Building a Course Portfolio.” Interactive Workshop for the Brown Innovation Center. DeLand, FL Dec 14, 2017.

“The Courage to Teach: Using a Faculty Learning Community to Reframe the Role of the Professor.” Interactive Workshop. Colloquium on Teaching & Learning Innovation, DeLand, FL Apr 7, 2017.

“Rapid Expansion: Ekphrasis as more than ‘Writing About Art.’” Panel Presentation. Gulf Coast Association of Creative Writing Teachers Conference, Fairhope, AL, Mar 10-11 2017. 

“What Will Become of Us? An Exploration of Post-apocalyptic Fiction” Individual Presentation. Florida Writers Association Annual Conference, Altamonte, FL, Oct, 2016.

“The Personal Essay: What is it, and How Honest do I Have to be?” Individual Presentation. Florida Writers Association Conference, Fl, Oct, 2016.

“What Will Become of Us? An Exploration of Post-apocalyptic Fiction” Individual Presentation. Florida Writers Association Mini Conference, Tampa, FL, May, 2016.

“Buffy Belongs in College: What Popular Culture Adds to the University Classroom,” Poster Presentation. 2016 Colloquium on Teaching & Learning Innovation, Stetson University. Apr 1, 2016.

“Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation: Generating New Work through Unexpected Prompts,” Panel Presentation. Other Words Conference, Florida Literary Arts Coalition, Flagler College, St. Augustine, Florida. Nov 5-7, 2015. 

“The Life and Legacy of James Weldon Johnson,” Panel presentation. Other Words Conference, Florida Literary Arts Coalition, Flagler College, St. Augustine, Florida. Nov 6-8, 2014. 

“The Travel Poem: the Journey Out, the Journey Home, and the Journey-less poem.” Panel presentation. Other Words Conference, Florida Literary Arts Coalition, Flagler College, St. Augustine, Florida. Nov 8-11, 2012.

“Beginning Interdisciplinary Studies” teaching video created as part of an information fluency grant for the IDS Department at UCF. This video was designed and intended to be used in all Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies classes. 

Performances/Readings: 

JaxbyJax Literary Arts Festival, Selections from A Future Unmappable, Poetry Reading, October 16, 2021. 

Cultivating Voices Live Poetry, First Anniversary Celebration & New Book Showcase (A Future Unmappable), Mar. 28, 2021. 

KGB Poetry Series, poetry reading. Selections from A Future Unmappable.New York, New York, (zoom). Nov. 30, 2020.

Atlantic Center for the Arts Community Day, poetry reading, New Smyrna Beach, FL. Oct. 3, 2020. 

Cultivating Voices Live Poetry Open Mic, 15-minute live reading, Cultivating Voices, Olympia, WA. Apr. 12, 2020. 

December Morning, poem. Thread: an Ekphrastic Experiment, Poetry Gallery & Reading, Valencia College, Mar. 2, 2020. 

Inside/Out, Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, FL, July 2019.

Loose Lips, Poetry Reading, Li’l Indies, Orlando, FL, Mar. 5, 2019.

Book Signing, FWA Annual Conference, Altamonte, FL, Oct. 22, 2016.

Book Launch & Reading, Gallery on First, Sanford, FL, June 4, 2015. 

Culture Pop! featured reader, Art & History Museum, Maitland, May 29, 2015.

There Will Be Verse, featured reader, Stardust Video & Lounge, Orlando, FL May 26, 2015.

Mayfest Celebration, featured reader, Sanford Public History Center, Sanford, FL, May 2, 2015.

Book signing, AWP Bookstore, Minneapolis, MN, April 2015.

Inside/Out, Atlantic Center for the Arts, New Smyrna Beach, FL, June 2014.

Student Showcase with Jack McCarthy, Henniker, NH, June, 2011.

Student Showcase with Anne Waldman, Henniker, NH, January 2012.

Orlando Museum of Art, invited reader, UCF Alumni Showcase, FL, 2009.

Performing Arts of Maitland, invited reader, Maitland, FL, 2010. 

Gwendolyn Brooks Poetry Series, Seminole State College, Sanford, FL, 2007.

Scottie & Gavin

Rescue life looks pretty good.