Su Hwang

Su Hwang is a prominent poet and educator currently serving as a Graduate Instructor in Creative Writing at the University of Minnesota. She holds an MFA in Poetry from the same institution, which she completed in May 2016. Hwang's literary contributions have garnered significant recognition, including the 2020 Minnesota Book Award for her debut poetry collection, Bodega, published by Milkweed Editions, and the Academy of American Poets James Wright Prize. She also received the inaugural Jerome Hill Fellowship in Literature and was a finalist for the 2021 Kate Tufts Discovery Award.124

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Hwang immigrated to the United States in the 1980s. Her family initially settled in New York City, where her parents operated a bodega, before moving to San Francisco and eventually to Minneapolis. This diverse background informs her writing, which often explores themes of identity, race, migration, and social justice. Hwang is also actively involved in community outreach through her work with the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop, where she serves as an Outreach Manager and teaching artist. Additionally, she co-founded Poetry Asylum, a collaborative initiative aimed at amplifying underrepresented voices in literature.1345

Hwang's poetry is characterized by its political engagement and personal narrative, reflecting her experiences as a daughter of immigrants and her commitment to social justice issues. Her upcoming projects include a second poetry collection that will delve into themes of madness and mass incarceration.15