Irene O’Garden

Irene O’Garden has won or been nominated for prizes in nearly every writing category from stage to e-screen, hardcovers, children’s books as well as literary magazines and anthologies. Her critically-acclaimed play Women on Fire (Samuel French), starring Judith Ivey, played to sold-out houses at Off-Broadway’s Cherry Lane Theatre, and was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award. O’Garden was awarded The Pushcart Prize for her lyric essay “Glad to Be Human,” (Harper published her first memoir Fat Girl and Nirala Press recently published Fulcrum: Selected Poems, which contains her prize-winning poem “Nonfiction.” O’Garden’s new memoir, Risking the Rapids: How My Wilderness Adventure Healed My Childhood was published by Mango Publishing in January, 2019.

O’Garden’s poems and essays have been featured in dozens of literary journals and award-winning anthologies. A seasoned and entertaining presenter both on stage and video, O’Garden has appeared at top literary venues: including The Player’s Club, the Bowery Poetry Club, Nuyorican Poetry Café, Read650 and KGB in Manhattan; and The Poetry Café and Mycennae House in London.

Irene O’Garden lives joyfully with her husband of forty years, John Pielmeier, who is best known for his play Agnes of God. They live and write in Garrison, NY. ireneogarden.com