About me
Claudia Wilson is a Black, Trans writer and peer-supporter from Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. They studied Social Work and Black Literature in college and earned their MFA from UMASS Amherst. Their work lives at the intersections of identity, memory, and becoming—and is deeply rooted in community. Claudia grew as a writer and performer in spaces like The Writer’s Block in Columbus, and the Cantab Lounge and House Slam in Boston, which were foundational to their creative discipline. Claudia is a VONA Fellow, a Juniper Fellow, and a graduate of The Writer’s Hotel. Their debut chapbook, GROWN (Game Over Books, 2019), explores themes about foster care and survival.
In addition to their literary work, Claudia is active in the mental health field, where they support community-based, peer-centered alternatives to suicide. They currently facilitate and advocate for Alternatives to Suicide groups—intentional, non-coercive spaces that center honesty, mutual aid, and the complexities of living. This work reflects their deep belief in collective care and the power of holding space for others’ stories. Claudia has taught poetry at Smith College and UMass Amherst, led workshops at Manna Community Center in Western Massachusetts, and participated in cultural and literary panels with GrubStreet and the Trans Poetics. Across all their work, Claudia centers the richness of Black and Trans life, and the power of poetry/literature as a space for truth-telling, connection, and transformation. Claudia resides in Western, MA with their cat Pablo.
