Kathleen Rooney

Kathleen Rooney is an American writer, publisher, editor, and educator. She is a founding editor of Rose Metal Press and a founding member of Poems While You Wait. Rooney teaches English and creative writing at DePaul University. Her works include poetry collections and novels such as "O, Democracy!" (2014), "Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk" (2017), and "Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey" (2020). Her latest poetry collection, "Where Are the Snows," won the X.J. Kennedy Prize in 2022. She also co-authored the picture book "Leaf Town Forever" with her sister Beth Rooney, set to be released in Fall 2025. Her fifth novel, "Man Overboard!," is scheduled for publication in July 2026.