Kale Hensley is a poet and visual artist originally from the hills of West Virginia, now living in Texas with their wife and a menagerie of pets. They have taught at four universities, including a teaching fellowship in Latvia through the Fulbright Program.

Their writing, rooted in mysticism, dissent, and a love of regional myth, has appeared in Gulf Coast, Booth, Evergreen Review, Image, Epiphany, and other journals, with several nominations for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. They are the recipient of the 2026 Elmer Kelton Prize for Poetry and a finalist for GASHER Press’ 2025 Chapbook Prize.

They are currently at work on their second collection of poetry presently titled stellar candy which explores first and second puberties. Other ongoing projects include research on lady troubadours, translating Old English poetry, and exploring phytography through analog collage.