A. L. Nielsen

A. L. Nielsen earned his PhD in American literature and his MPhil from George Washington University.

Nielsen is the author of numerous collections of poetry, including Hard Gospel (BlazeVOX Books, 2025); Supertrios (Disc One) (Bodily Press, 2025); and Sufferhead (Bottlecap Press, 2022). Additionally, he is the author of several works of nonfiction, including Integral Music: Languages of African American Innovation (University of Alabama Press, 2004). 

Nielsen’s honors include the Darwin Turner Award from the African American Literature and Culture Society (AALCS) and the 2005 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award. He lives between Santa Barbara, California, and Washington, D.C.