Taisia Kitaiskaia was born in the former Soviet Union and raised in the United States. She is the author of four books: The Nightgown and Other Poems; two volumes of Ask Baba Yaga, advice from the witch of Slavic folklore; and Literary Witches: A Celebration of Magical Women Writers, a collaboration with artist Katy Horan. Her fiction and poetry have been published widely, and her story, “Engelond,” was chosen by Lauren Groff for the Best American Short Stories 2024. She is the recipient of fellowships from the James A. Michener Center for Writers and Yaddo.
While at MacDowell, Kitaiskaia worked on a novel about a brother and sister who visit an enchanted California resort for Russian-speaking immigrants in hopes of seeing their parents’ ghosts.
Portrait by Ming Chen
