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Director of grants at Alvernia by day, Laurel Radzieski grants herself some poetic license when she’s off the clock.

Already a published author – “Red Mother,” her first collection of poems, – she’s readying the release of a second collection, “Leaf Manifesto.” And that release comes with some significant breeze at her back.

On January 26, announced for "Leaf Manifesto." As a result, Middle Creek will publish the poetry collection.

"The publisher's been around for 10 years and it's exciting to be with a press that is growing and looking to increase their impact," Radzieski said. "They have a focus on eco-poetics and nature/human relationships, which ties into my work."

Though "Leaf Manifesto" has yet to be published, the Halcyon Award is not the only honor it has received. In January 2024, Radzieski was named for the collection, which focuses on environmentalism and a woman's place in today's society.

When she didn't come out on top in that contest, she spent the rest of the year revising the manuscript and sending it out to potential publishers. Which is how she came in contact with Middle Creek.

"Their blog had a lot of very interesting tips," she said. "Based on their guidance, I restructured the manuscript and I was much happier with it."

"Leaf Manifesto" is not laid out like a typical poetry book. As an experimental, hybrid project, the manuscript plays with form and narrative structure. The revised version leans into this intent further and reads as a long-form poem.

She is now two for two in terms of prizes. In 2020, her debut release received , a student-run publisher at the University of Indianapolis.

Radzieski received a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Goddard College in 2014 after earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts & Humanities from Keystone College. So how did she become involved in the polar opposite world of grant writing?

“Ah, well, because poetry, shockingly, doesn't always pay the bills,” she said.
 

Working at a nonprofit while earning her master’s degree, Radzieski was told by her supervisor that if she learned how to write grants, she’d never have to worry about making a living with her writing. That helped free her from financial stress. And the two professions balance out each other nicely, she said.

“The poetry adds to my grant writing,” Radzieski said. “A lot of grant writing is very technical and sometimes people lose the storytelling. So I like writing grants because I can infuse that into it. But I also think that being a grant writer helps me be concise when writing poems."

Because she already went through the experience of releasing a book, cultivating an audience of fans – mostly undergraduate students – in the process, Radzieski expects the publication of “Leaf Manifesto” to be an exciting new phase of her writing career. But she doesn’t take success for granted. She’s still shocked when someone reviews “Red Mother” on Goodreads or Amazon.

“Poetry often doesn't have legs like that,” she said. “So I'm excited with this book because now I have a readership. This is one of my favorite things I've ever written. I can’t wait to share it.”