Hi! I'm an artist and writer living in the Rust Belt. I'm interested in translation, animal cognition, and babies. I tweet at @laurenbanka.

I read, write, review, and edit speculative fiction and creative nonfiction.

I attended the 2020 Tin House Summer Workshop, working with Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. Previously, I wrote poetry; in 2013, Danez Smith selected me for Muzzle Magazine's 30 Under 30, and I was nominated for a Rhysling award.

I review SFF and romance for Publisher's Weekly. I read submissions and developmental-edit for Aqueduct Press, an independent publisher of feminist science fiction. For two years, I curated the SFF section at the legendary Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, WA, including buying backlist and frontlist. I also do graphic design for events and books.