Leo Williams (b. Miami, FL) received their MFA in Creative Nonfiction from The University of New Mexico in 2024. They are an alumna of the Tin House Summer Writing Workshop. Their work has been featured in Sinking City and The Florida Review. They are currently on a Fulbright in Bulgaria where they are teaching writing at Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv.
Education
The University of New Mexico
MFA in Creative Nonfiction, 2024
The University of New Mexico
MA Student in American Studies, 2020-2021
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
BFA, 2014
Central Saint Martins - University of the Arts London
Contemporary Art Seminar, 2011
Writing
“Searching for Scorpio Rising.” Sinking City. 2022.
“While We’re Inside.” The Florida Review. 2022. (forthcoming)
“El Rey De Las Fritas.” Miami Grubs. O, Miami. 2021.
“body-map,” in Sevilla Writers House Zine - Myth & Memory: Writing Family Stories. June 2020.
“How to Make Wine on the South Side,” South Side Weekly. October 2019.
“The Annual South Side Grape Sale,” South Side Weekly. October 2019.
Experience
Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
October 2024 - June 2025
University of New Mexico
Creative Writing Graduate Administrative Assistant
Albuquerque, NM
August 2022 - May 2024
University of New Mexico
Core Writing Program
Albuquerque, NM; Instructor
August 2021 - May 2024
University of New Mexico
Religious Studies Program
Albuquerque, NM; Teaching Assistant
January 2021 - May 2021
University of New Mexico
Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies
Albuquerque, NM; Grader
August 2020 - December 2020
University of New Mexico
LGBTQ Resource Center
Albuquerque, NM; Project Assistant
August 2020 - December 2020
Poetry Foundation
Chicago, IL; Events Assistant
August 2018 - July 2020
The University of Chicago
Fab Lab - Chicago, IL; Fab Lab Assistant
January 2019 - September 2019
South Side Weekly
Chicago, IL; Journalist
July 2018 - May 2020
cornerstore
Art Exhibition Space; Director and Founder
May 2015—April 2017
Trainings & Awards & Residencies
2024
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Finalist, Bulgaria
GPSA Student Research Grant; University of New Mexico
LGBTQ PRIDE Scholarship; University of New Mexico
Student Conference Award (S-CAP); University of New Mexico
2023
Summer Dissertation Award; University of New Mexico
GPSA Student Research Grant; University of New Mexico
2022
Land Arts of The American West; Lannan Foundation Scholarship
GPSA Professional Development Grant; University of New Mexico
Outstanding New Instructor Award in Core Writing; University of New Mexico
Russo Travel Scholarship Award by the English Department of the University of New Mexico
Adobe Digital Literacy Innovation Award; University of New Mexico
2021
Tin House Craft Intensive with Kim Fu, Online via Zoom
Tin House Summer Workshop, Online via Zoom (July 2021)
GPSA Professional Development Grant; Albuquerque, NM
Oral History Summer Funding Grant; Albuquerque, NM
2020
Myth & Memory: Writing Family Stories with K-Ming Chang, Sevilla Writers House, Online via Zoom
Honing Bodily Intuition with iele paloumpis, Movement Research Winter MELT, New York, NY
2019
Flood’s Hall; Chicago, IL
Oral History Projects
“Grief Work with the Philly Death Doula Collective: An Oral History Project,” interview by Leo Williams on March 25th, 2021, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections, Albuquerque, NM.
Group Exhibitions
2022
Confluence: Tracing Water Through Creative Exchange,” Bacheci Open Space Albuquerque, NM
2021
Permission to Rest: A one-night exhibiton, A Garden (Outside the Albuquerque Art Museum)
Albuquerque, NM
2019
In the Receiving Room, Flood’s Hall
Chicago, IL
Trans Art Is: Love & Liberation, Andersonville Galleria
Chicago, IL
Workshops/Performances/Presentations
Workshop: “Community Building Through Game Design,” Polsky Exchange & Weston Game Lab; Chicago, IL
Performance: “Speculative Fashion: Building New Worlds Through What We Wear,” NoNation Art Lab; Chicago, IL
Guest Lecture: “Comedy Game Projects,” Advanced Game Design course, DePaul University; Chicago, IL
Press
Cardoza, Kerry. “Jenn Smith and Bailey Scieszka.” Newcity; September 2016.
“5 Shows To See Now.” Newcity; September 2016.
“Top V. Weekend Picks (6/16-6/22).” Bad At Sports; June 2016.
Clarke, Chris. “Letter from Chicago: A Fucking Biennial.” Art Monthly; November 2015.
Curated Exhibitions
2016
God Gives Us Food, cornerstore
Chicago, IL
Here, cornerstore
Chicago, IL
Lay a Ghost, cornerstore
Chicago, IL
2015
Late November, cornerstore
Chicago, IL
2 Tambours, cornerstore
Chicago, IL