Kimberly King Parsons Is Both a Writer and a Champion of Writers

“Kim is not just a brilliant writer and a hilarious person, she’s the best kind of literary citizen—one who makes other writers feel the importance of their work by how closely she engages with it.”

Kim - Author Photos (Evelynne Gomes Greenberg Photography/Evelynne Gomes Greenberg Photography)
By Michelle Kicherer

Age: 43

Occupation: Writer

Why She Matters: Parsons, a William Faulkner fan from Lubbock, Texas, is one of today’s buzziest authors. Her first short story collection, Black Light, was nominated for the 2019 National Book Award, but her impact extends beyond her own work.

Parsons is a huge champion of Portland writers. She has taught five times for Literary Arts, and in the past three years has been in conversation with more than a dozen writers at their Powell’s book launches. She’s currently working on her novel The Boiling River, which will be published by Knopf in 2024.

Biggest Influence: “The writers I return to again and again are careful, crystalline sentence makers: Amy Hempel, Joy Williams, Garielle Lutz, Denis Johnson, Christine Schutt.”

Greatest Personal Achievement: Being in conversation with Amy Hempel at her book launch in NYC (Parsons has a line of Hempel’s tattooed on her arm). A close second was her 2019 National Book Award nomination.

Favorite Guilty Pleasure: Eating garbage snacks from the gas station (her favorites are Funyuns and pizza-flavored anything).

Best Quote About Her: “Kim is not just a brilliant writer and a hilarious person, she’s the best kind of literary citizen—one who makes other writers feel the importance of their work by how closely she engages with it.” —Cecily Wong, author of Kaleidoscope

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