About Andrea

Andrea O'Brien graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a degree in English and an emphasis in creative writing. Her work has appeared in various journals, including The New York Quarterly, Connecticut Review, and Dogwood, and has been anthologized in Mothers and Daughters: A Poetry Celebration and New Growth: Recent Kentucky Writings.

In 1998, she won first place in the UWM Women's Studies Research Paper and Project Contest for the poem "Child Who Haunts My Womb." She was awarded first place in the 2006 Kentucky State Poetry Society Grand Prix Contest. More recently, the Kentucky Foundation for Women awarded Andrea a 2007 Artist Enrichment grant to begin writing her second collection of poems. View a complete list of publications and awards.

Additionally, Andrea was a guest on Wisconsin Public Radio's "Hotel Milwaukee," a variety show featuring actors, musicians, and writers. Andrea has facilitated classes at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning and other community venues, where she and the participants have explored the craft of poetry.

Her ten-plus years of experience as a writer and editor include:

Technical documentation design and development
Training development
Editing for structure, styles and standards adherence, general readability, and consistency
General, team, and client communications
Project management
Documentation process development and adherence
Systems life cycle experience as a business analyst, specifically involvement with the analysis, design, and verification phases for system changes

Andrea lives in Denver with her husband, who happens to be her best friend.