Kevilina Burbank
author of
Misnested:
A little bit about me
After being thrown out of nearly every school I attended after the seventh grade, I had a hunch that college might be different from the confines of high school. I went on to earn a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Creative Writing, and later began a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing—a program I eventually left after realizing that, as a single parent, I would need a more stable career path. I then earned a Master of Arts in Teaching.After a year of teaching in China with my seven-year-old daughter, I returned to the U.S. and taught writing at Portland community colleges. I later worked as a substitute teacher in high-need Los Angeles public schools.Following a nasty breakup that resulted in the loss of my Nigerian Dwarf goat herd, a failed business, and loss of stability—I focused on acrobatics, chess, and travel.I spent five years traveling solo, funded by substitute teaching and random writing gigs. I eventually got a job teaching English, and a few other things, to women at a university in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.There, I met my Dutch partner. We traveled through Jordan and Oman and lived in Dubai for a year before relocating to the Netherlands. This transition included being stranded in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic and spending several weeks in Belgrade, Serbia, while awaiting permission to re-enter Europe.I now live in southern France with my partner and three cats.
Misnested
“Post-it notes of religious affirmations dotted the mirror. Jesus is King! one said. Angles surround us, said another. As a former spelling bee contestant, I couldn't resist pointing out the error—and the mathematical likelihood that angles were, in fact, far more likely to surround us than angels.”Misnested is a series of standalone, tragicomic reflections spanning 1982 to 1995. Linked by the dark absurdity of survival, these essays explore the intersection of apocalyptic religion and parental narcissism.
Contact
If you'd like to be updated on the publication date of Misnested, or read more of my work, please subscribe to my personal Substack below.