Jess Smith is the author of Lady Smith (University of Akron Press, 2025). Originally from Georgia, she is currently an Assistant Professor of Practice at Texas Tech University, where she also directs the MFA in creative writing. Her poetry, essays, and criticism can be found in Prairie Schooner, Waxwing, 32 Poems, The Rumpus, and other journals. She received her MFA from The New School and is the recipient of support from the Sewanee Writers' Conference and the Vermont Studio Center.