Born in the coal towns of central Pennsylvania and raised just south, in the farm counties, Brooke Mitchell writes poetry laden with the weight of these landscapes. She obtained her BA in Creative Writing from Susquehanna University in 2025; a journey during which she earned funding from the Fine Arts Work Center and the Writers Institute for literary excellence. She now attends the MFA at NYU’s Creative Writing Program seeking further scholarship in poetry.
Aside from questioning how the Juniata and Susquehanna Rivers shaped her perspective on life and language, Mitchell’s poetry performs deeper interrogations on poetics. Inspired by Rosemarie Waldrop’s “Curves to the Apple,” much of her work acts toward opening her lines to the reader through abscuration. The central questions, for Mitchell, are: Who has access to the playground at the center of every poem? How do I invite you inside?
Brooke Mitchell 