About

editor in cheifBRI BRUCE (B. L. Bruce) holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in post-modern literature and creative writing from the University of California at Santa Cruz and has conducted extensive post-graduate work with UC Berkeley’s professional editing program.

An award-winning author, photographer, publisher, and freelance graphic designer, Bruce’s written work has appeared in dozens of anthologies, magazines, and literary publications, including The Sun Magazine, Tattoo Highway, Ampersand, Red Fez Entertainment, The Cossack, The Avocet Review, Atom Magazine, Northwind Magazine, The Soundings Review, The Monterey Poetry Review, the American Haiku Society’s Frogpond Journal, Third Wednesday, Near Window, and The Remnant Archive, among many others.

Bruce was named Featured Poet of Homebound Publications’ holiday issue of The Wayfarer (Vol. 2, Issue 4, Dec. 2013) followed by the inclusion of seven of her poems in the Poems from Conflicted Hearts anthology alongside Poet Laureate Alice Shapiro. In addition to receiving the Ina Coolbrith Memorial Poetry Prize, Bruce was also the recipient of PushPen Press’s Pendant Prize for Poetry for her haiku series published in THREE with Poet Laureate Erica Goss.

A Pushcart Prize nominee and three-time award-winning author, Bruce’s debut collection, The Weight of Snow: New & Selected Poems, published February 2014 by Black Swift Press, earned her the nickname “the heiress of Mary Oliver.” Her second book, 28 Days of Solitude (Back Swift Press, August 2015) was written entirely during her four-week residency in the remote forests of Northern California. Also written during this stay, her chapbook, The Starling’s Song, published April 1st, 2016, was selected as the Honorable Mention of the 2017 Pacific Rim Book Festival in the poetry category. Measures, her third collection of poetry, was released in 2021.

Bruce is currently writing her fifth book and recently completed producing a nature adventure documentary film about Baja California called “The Devil’s Road.”

During the coronavirus shelter-in-place implications, she founded and is editor-in-chief of Humana Obscura, an online and print literary magazine publishing poetry, prose, and artwork with a nature theme.

See her feature in the June 2020 issue of Books & Buzz Magazine where she talks her shameless bibliophilia, her experience in book design, and her current projects:

“How graphic designer Bri Bruce brings beauty to books” (Books & Buzz Magazine, June 2020)

Specializing in all things books and print and digital media, Bri’s professional work has given her the opportunity to work with authors, academics, non-profits, and small businesses, offering writing/editing, graphic design, publishing, and photography services.

Connect on LinkedIn, Goodreads, Twitter and Instagram!

AVAILABLE FOR HIRE

I provide graphic design (book covers, advertisements, logos, marketing collateral, etc.), book publishing and consultation, and photography services.

View and download my portfolio.

Read testimonials here.

Read complete CV here.

639 thoughts on “About”

  1. Thanks for following my blog, and it’s great to see someone else who’s done creative writing. I taught it for a few years at uni, more free than paid work ;). I also did some poetry readings, although not in a big way.
    Would be great to read your thoughts about the topic CW and/or general writer’s/author’s publishing/editing opinions :).

    Cheers
    Sascha

    Reply

    1. Hi Sascha, thanks for stopping by. Well, my thoughts on the matter would be in line with your comment about teaching more for free than for pay. There really isn’t any money in the writing world unless you make it as a bestseller, of course. I think a lot of writers write simply because they can’t not write. It fulfills a creative need. At least that’s the case or me 🙂 I followed my heart when it came to studying literature and creative writing in college and I guess the same can be said of me today. Someone once told me that if we love what we do, we won’t ever have to work again!

      Reply

      1. Can’t agree more with that :). Although right now it seems that some universities see the need of Creative Writing as a way to improve students’ academic writing and send some money there.

        I’m from Germany, so it’s even more difficult because of the Goethe genius problem we had. Still at my uni (where I taught CW in English, weird but true), something is moving in that direction, although it will take time…

        The line “can’t not write” is great, I think this was also the title of a topic an author used in a CW seminar (for academic teachers).

        Actually your site got me inspired to maybe write something about… well, writing, creative and whatever it is that makes people write or blog. So thanks for that :)!

      2. Happy I could spur some productivity for you 🙂 I can only hope that the world begins to realize how important creativity is and brings more focus on the arts. Best of luck to you!

  2. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I was over at Logos Books a couple of months ago and got a copy of your book, “The Weight of Snow.” I loved it. Looking forward to reading more of your work.

    Reply

    1. Hi Andrew, thanks so much for your support! I really appreciate you seeking out my book. It would mean a ton to me if you were able to provide your feedback on Amazon to share with others and help promote my work.

      Cheers!

      Reply

      1. I’ve put up a short review of this book on book Amazon and my Goodreads account. I am so glad I found your book – loved reading it.

  3. Hello Bri! I am glad you stopped by my blog. Motivation is hard to come by so when an actual author reads my posts, I am ecstatic. Thank you!

    Reply

  5. Wow, you’re the real deal! Thank you for following my blog! I just followed yours. I also, purchased The Weight of Snow for my Kindle. Can’t wait to read it! 🙂

    Reply

  6. Hello! Thank you so much for following my blog, I really appreciate it! Your “about” section is so inspiring to me because I also would like my work published in literary magazines.And as an emerging author, I am very excited to learn that you are an editor and publisher. Have a great day 🙂

    Reply

  8. Thanks for stopping by and following..Your blog is much more than awesome and you yourself are an inspiration..I’m glad having come across such a wonderful blog…Thanks again.. 🙂

    Reply

  10. It looks like we have many skills in common. We may have reached them on different paths, but it’s the expertise that matters. I sometimes need to contract out projects when I get overloaded. I am following your blog, as you so graciously followed me, so I know how to contact you in a jiffy. I’m sure you’ve experienced the phenomenon of how a written piece of media becomes RUSH once you hit the editing and publishing stage. It has been this way since the first scratched symbols on cave walls or in stone.

    Reply

  11. Thanks for following my blog. After reading a few of your lovely poems, I just ordered The Weight of Snow. Looking forward to reading them.

    Reply

  24. I am honored to be followed by someone so talented as you are. I hope to learn some copy writing, editing and formatting skills from you.

    Reply

  27. Thanks for the follow Bri. I read some of the Weight of Snow, really lovely and evocative, a shame it’s out of print. I think you may live in a small piece of Heaven all the way over there on the West Coast. We’re on a smaller scale over here in the counties, but if you feel like a small taste of UK and a touch of escapism, I have a short story free on Kindle over the weekend, here’s the link – http://amzn.to/1GxG4x6 Please enjoy! (and any other Anglophiles out there reading this too).

    Reply

  31. Thanks for choosing to follow my blog. May you know the Lord Jesus more as He pours out many blessings on you, your work and your blog.

    Reply

  36. Hi Bri. Love your blog and what you’re doing for the WordPress blogging community. ❤
    I was recently nominated for the Unique Blogger Award, so I am passing along the nomination to you. If you are interested in participating and nominating other bloggers, you can read the rules here:
    https://colleenackerman.wordpress.com/2016/08/06/unique-blogger-award/
    Remember, you are not obligated to participate.
    Either way, keep blogging and have a wonderful day. 🙂

    Reply

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