Chanel Brenner is a poet, author, grief writing guide, and mother, whose writing and workshops help others navigate grief in supported, meaningful, and integrated ways. As a bereaved mother of a young son, she offers uniquely compassionate insight and commiseration to grieving parents. She deeply understands the specific and complex pain of this profound kind of loss, as well as the path toward healing.
When her six-year-old son, Riley, died in 2011, Chanel felt an inner calling to start writing. While her early writing wasn’t polished, the act of writing itself became a lifeline. In her darkest moments, writing helped her process and heal, while also providing a way to honor and stay connected to her son. What began as raw expressions of early grief became more polished, published works and workshops to support others in their own grief journeys.
Her writing traverses the spectrum of grief from the rawness of early loss to the gradual unfolding of healing. Her work is honest, vulnerable, and compassionate, meeting grieving individuals wherever they are in their healing journey.
Chanel is the author of two poetry collections: Smile, or Else, winner of the 2021 Press 53 Award for Poetry and Vanilla Milk: A Memoir Told in Poems (2014), finalist for the 2016 Independent Book Awards.
Her writing has appeared in numerous literary magazines and publications, some of which include The Rumpus, Mutha Magazine, Modern Loss, and The Good Men Project.
