Meet a Staff Member: Kelsey Hyeri Ko

‍Yellow Arrow Publishing would like to introduce Kelsey Hyeri Ko (she/they), a reader. Kelsey is a Korean American writer, creative, and psychotherapist based in Baltimore, Maryland. Her creative practice is guided by diasporic blues, ancestral wisdom, queer theory, deep presence, and the dream of collective liberation. They are a reader with Yellow Arrow, and their work and words have appeared in The Atlantic, Baltimore Magazine, and Maryland Matters. You can find them online at kelseyhko.com or on Instagram @kkollagerie.

‍‍Kelsey says, “I’m most looking forward to being in a collaborative community with other like-minded writers and readers and the opportunity to be a part of the process of shaping and bringing a publication into fruition.”

Tell us a little something about yourself:

My creativity and artistry are multidisciplinary. Beyond the written word, I love the performing arts, visual arts, and fiber arts. You can also find me at the theater, singing or playing music, or making creations through crochet and collage!

‍‍What do you love most about Baltimore?

Where do I start? I love that the people who choose to call our magical little city home love it fiercely and unapologetically. I love that it’s the place where I grew up and had my coming-of-age from age 18 until now. I love that it’s a city with a small-town feel—that it’s so easy to know my neighbors, fellow café hoppers, and local shop owners by name, that you run into people on a quick walk to the corner store to grab a bottle of wine. I love that it’s so easy to build community and that it’s home to my chosen family, some of the most remarkable people I know.

How did you get involved with Yellow Arrow and what do you do for us?

I am a reader with Yellow Arrow! Yellow Arrow has been on my radar for ages through a friend who was a writer-in-residence, through glimpses I saw of staff members tabling at different book events throughout the city, and also through my time working as a barista at Bird-in-Hand Coffee & Books, which Yellow Arrow has a partnership with. I wanted to join the Yellow Arrow team because I believe that good writing starts from doing a whole lot of reading. While in a season of coping with personal tumult, immense growth, and intense change over the past two years—thanks to my Saturn return, for folks plugged into the astrology world—I found myself continually returning to my creative practices like writing, which I had used to process and to cope with difficult emotions since childhood. I felt inspired to nurture a consistent creative writing process for my own inner child, and felt that being in community with other writers and readers would be the best way for me to do that.

‍‍What are you working on currently?

I’m currently working on crocheting a tank top for myself! Learning how to crochet over the past year has taught me so much about frustration tolerance and the humbling nature of being a beginner again. As a mental health professional, I’ve been thinking about how the repetitive motion simulates the mechanism of fidget toys and how its tactile nature can be helpful for both taking the edge off restlessness and cultivating mindfulness.

What genre do you write or read the most and why?

‍I read and write poetry that’s both lyrical and free verse. I also enjoy writing creative nonfiction and love reading memoirs and personal essays. I have a deep fascination with the raw truth and emotions of everyday people, and I find that these genres allow me to access these stories and feelings in a very tangible way. I recently finished the memoir Ma & Me by Putsata Reang, recommended to me by a friend, and cried crocodile tears while finishing the last chapter.

Can you recall an early memory that might have sparked your love of writing/reading?

My earliest memories of reading and writing come in flashes. There’s sitting next to my grandfather in Seoul while he would read Korean children’s books to me until his voice was hoarse because I couldn’t ever get enough. There’s learning how to read for the first time and feeling as though the world was coming alive around me in a way I’d never experienced before—the feeling of wonder as I sounded out the words on road signs, bulletin boards, and flyers is something I still remember. There’s reading fantasy books like Inkheart and The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke, which took me to places far beyond the suburban homes and cornfields of my school-age years growing up in Pennsylvania. All these moments shaped me into becoming a voracious reader and writer.

‍What book is on the top of your to-be-read pile?

Hot Girls with Balls by Benedict Nguyễn! It’s a satire that’s queer, trans, and about volleyball. I went to see her book tour event last summer in D.C., with a friend and got my signed copy, but as my to-read pile has grown and time has gotten away from me it’s fallen by the wayside. It’s been great seeing the recent media and pop culture interest in the hotness and queerness of sports with Challengers and Heated Rivalry,but I want to read more works from trans authors, and I think it’s more important than ever to elevate these voices given our current political climate.

Who has inspired and/or supported you most in your writing journey or in everyday life?

‍I feel grateful that throughout my education, I’ve had English and poetry teachers see a spark of potential in me and tell me to pursue writing. When I find myself in a slump, I remember their words and feel a desire to keep going—it’s a big part of why I stepped into the classroom and taught English for several years. I’m also inspired by my lineage and my ancestors. My grandfather wrote poetry and the Kim clan in which he and my ancestors belong to is known for its many scholars and poets. Both my maternal grandparents were educators in the Korean language arts. They remind me that the art of writing is not just about me but about honoring all those who have come before me.

If you could have a workspace anywhere, where would it be and why?

Jeju Island in South Korea! My paternal side of the family is descended from there through the Jeju Ko clan. Jeju is a beautiful subtropical island with its own unique culture separate from mainland Korea. It has volcanoes, forests, hiking trails, waterfalls, beaches, flower fields, cafés, and amazing seafood. . . . Basically a writer’s paradise. I’m imagining staying somewhere overlooking the water to do my morning and evening writing, spending time in nature for inspiration, and immersing myself in the local writing scene at different cafés. Sounds absolutely dreamy.

‍‍What advice do you have for new writers or anyone starting a new adventure?

Just play—let go of self-consciousness and follow your impulse to create! Performance anxiety, fear of my art being “good enough,” and the pressure of perception have been the biggest blocks to my creativity and has kept me from writing for months and years at a time. Capitalism has a way of ruining everything. Whenever I allow myself to playfully follow my whimsy and wonder, I realize that creation is a human instinct. We have been drawing on cave walls long before we built societies. When I follow my intuition, I find that I have everything I need to be an artist.

What’s your vision for Yellow Arrow in 2026?

I reread The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin last year and have been feeling called to his words. I’ve been meditating on this quote from him: “The precise role of the artist, then, is to illuminate that darkness, blaze roads through that vast forest, so that we will not, in all our doing, lose sight of its purpose, which is, after all, to make the world a more human dwelling place.”

I think he already said it best. As we witness fascism, genocide, war, internment, and suffering all around us, I hope that the words we choose to amplify this year can be guiding lights that illuminate the darkness.

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Yellow Arrow Publishing is a nonprofit supporting women-identifying writers through publication and access to the literary arts. You can support us as we LUMINATE a path for women-identifying creatives this year by purchasing one of our publications or a workshop from the Yellow Arrow bookstore, for yourself or as a gift, joining our newsletter, following us on Facebook and Instagram, or subscribing to our  YouTube channel. Donations are appreciated via PayPal (staff@yellowarrowpublishing.com), Venmo (@yellowarrowpublishing), or US mail (PO Box 65185, Baltimore, Maryland 21209). More than anything, messages of support through any one of our channels are greatly appreciated.