Kelly Ramsey was born in Frankfort, Kentucky. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, American Short Fiction, and the anthology Letter to a Stranger (Algonquin, 2022). She holds a BA in literature from the University of Virginia and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Pittsburgh, and she co-founded The Lighthouse Works, a nonprofit artists' residency program on Fishers Island, New York. A MacDowell Fellow, she’s received grants from South East Arts and The American Wildfire Experience. She worked as a wilderness ranger and wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service, and her first book, a memoir of fighting wildfires in the West, is forthcoming from Scribner in 2025. She loves forests, creeks, animals, gardening, and drinking too much coffee. She lives in California with her partner, Eddie, their dog, Rookie, a baby girl arriving this fall—and all the plants.

to read her newsletter

called Plant Person, you can subscribe (for free!) here

select publications

A story about good and bad fire in Light & Seed magazine

Story about the Owens Valley Paiute Tribes and the City of Los Angeles

A firefighter pay story in Sierra Magazine

Wildland firefighters and unemployment in The Washington Post

Review in Electric Literature

Essay in Letter to a Stranger: Essays to the Ones Who Haunt Us

Women in fire, in Mystery Ranch

Fictional story about dating Elon Musk and getting sent to Mars, in Catapult

editing and coaching

Kelly offers editing and career coaching for writers.

If you’ve been struggling to finish (or begin) a book, establish a routine, hone a book proposal, build confidence, query literary agents, or navigate the submissions process, she can help.

Hourly rates and packages available. Reach out at the email below!

Representation

Sam Stoloff at Frances Goldin Literary Agency

contact

kellylynnramsey (at) gmail (dot) com