Thomas Kneeland
Thomas Kneeland (he/him/his) is an author, poet, English teacher, nonprofit founder, and
speaker/lecturer. He earned his undergraduate degree in Creative Writing from DePauw
University and a Master's degree in Ministry at Indiana Wesleyan University. He is currently
finishing his MFA in Creative Writing at Butler University. Thomas believes in accessibility to
education, the power of creative writing, and the history-making influence of social justice.
Thomas has contributed to Up the Staircase Quarterly, High Shelf Press, INverse Poetry
Archives (organized by former Indiana Poet Laureate Adrian Matejka and the Indiana State
Library), and the Black Lives Matter Official Instagram page, where he performed poetry in
memoriam of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Dreasjon Reed, and Daunte
Wright, Sr. Thomas leads the The Kneeland Center for Poetry, Inc and The Elevation Review in
efforts to promote literacy and enhance voices and works of underrepresented poets across the
world.
