Mary Junge learned about sun dogs and prairies in childhood while living in Fargo, North Dakota, before moving to the Twin Cities with her family. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Bemidji State College, she settled in Minneapolis and worked as a teacher of young children while earning a master’s degree in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota. Soon she found herself drawn to poetry. For ten years she was a member of the Laurel Poetry Collective, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, under the leadership of Deborah Keenan, a professor at Hamline University and a teacher at the Loft Literary Center.
Travel experiences have been transformative for Junge since she was a young adult, providing a doorway to other cultures and places. Quilting is another of her passions. The slow speed at which fabrics are pieced together enhances her writing life.
Junge’s poems have been published in numerous journals and anthologies: Art Word Quarterly, bosque, Crosswinds Poetry Journal, Dust and Fire, Laurel Poetry Collective publications, Oyster River Pages, 2023 Red Wing Poet Artist Collaboration Anthology, Sidewalks, Split Rock Review, and Water~Stone, among others. She previously published two poetry books: Express Train, a chapbook (Pudding House Publications) and Pilgrim Eye (Laurel Poetry Collective).
Paperback: 92 pages
Publisher: Kelsay Books (April 2, 2024)