Ollie Schminkey
Ollie Schminkey is a non-binary transgender poet and artist living in St. Paul, MN. They have spent the past decade coaching, mentoring, teaching classes, and running workshops for poets. They are the author of three chapbooks, as well as the full-length collection Dead Dad Jokes (Button Poetry, 2021) which was shortlisted for both the Midwest Independent Publishers Association and the Eric Hoffer Grand Prize. Their work has been featured everywhere from THEM to Upworthy, and they’ve performed poems in 19 states, with their work garnering over 2 million views on YouTube. When they’re not writing and performing poetry, they spend their time making creepy+cute pottery under the name Sick Kitty Ceramics. You can find them touring nationally, making music, or playing with their cat Pete, who is always trying to eat things he shouldn’t.
To take a class or to see more of their work, check out ollieschminkey.com.