Negesti Kaudo

Profile

Negesti Kaudo is a Midwestern essayist. She is an alumnx of Elon University where she received Bachelor of Arts degrees in English/Creative Writing and Psychology (with a minor in Neuroscience). While at Elon, Negesti joined Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society. As a member, she presented creative work at two consecutive conferences (2014 & 2015) and was president of the organization during her senior year. In 2015, Negesti received the Ohioana Library Association’s Walter Rumsey Marvin grant for Ohioan writers under the age of 30 who have not published a book. At 22, she was the youngest recipient of the award by four years.

Kaudo had her first essay published by Nailed Magazine in their January 2015 monthly response column. Since then, her work has been published in various literary publications, including Quarter After Eight, The Normal School, Best American Experimental 2020, Fourth Genre, Seneca Review, Nailed Magazine, Mosaic Literary Magazine, Wear Your Voice, Storm Cellar, NewCity Lit, FreezeRay Poetry, READY Publication, and Cosmonauts Avenue.

In 2018, she earned her MFA in English and Creative Writing – Nonfiction from Columbia College Chicago. Her manuscript, a collection of essays, explored the intersections of pop culture, race, history, womanism, location, and heritage. She is an alumnx of the Ragdale Foundation Residency (2019), Winter Tangerine Workshop (2018 & 2019), and Representation Matters Mentorship Program for people of color interested in publishing, and serves as a board member for the Ohioana Library Association.

Kaudo has taught writing at Columbia College Chicago, Columbus College of Art & Design, Literary Cleveland, and Kenyon Review’s Young Writers’ Workshop.

Currently, she is the first (and only) full-time Sex Toy staff writer for BuzzFeed Shopping.

Her debut collection of essays, RIPE: Essays, was published by Mad Creek Books, an imprint of The Ohio State University Press, in 2022.