About Kristie Helms

Kristie Helms is a southerner who keeps moving further north. Her work has appeared in "Utne," "The New York Press," "Genre" and in a string of un-bylined corporate brochures and newsletters that stretch from Nashville to New York City. She holds a B.S. in journalism from Murray State University in Kentucky from which she graduated in 1993 after having served as the editor-in-chief for the college's newspaper. After a brief stint as a crime reporter, she has worked in both corporate and non-profit communications for almost ten years in Nashville, Atlanta and Manhattan, and is now employed as the Communications Manager for a 147-year-old Boston non-profit focused on providing health care and housing for elders. She is a student in Simmons College's Masters in Communications Management program.

Her essays have been featured in "I Do/I Don't: Queers On Marriage" which was awarded the 2004 Lambda Literary Award for Nonfiction Anthology and "Pinned Down By Pronouns," a 2003 Lambda Literary Award finalist for Nonfiction Anthology. Her work was also featured in the collection, "Ultimate Undies: Erotic Stories About Lingerie and Underwear," published August, 2006 by Alyson Books and "Ultimate Lesbian Erotica: 2007" published in January 2007 also by Alyson Books.

Helms has studied creative writing with authors Toni Amato and Donna Minkowitz. Her online diary earned a 2001 Best Writing Award from Diarist.net. In her free time, she updates her current blog and volunteers as a community host at the The New Cafe and for Howard Rheingold's Brainstorms.

She volunteers for Boston Pride, Roslindale Village Main Streets, and Egleston Square Main Streets and sits on the RVMS Economic Development Committee. She is an associate member of the Ward 19 Democratic Committee and a member of the Boston Women Communicators.