Natalie Meisner
Natalie Meisner is a playwright and poet who grew up on the Mi’kma’ki, on the South Shore of Nova Scotia and works across the country in theatre and the literary arts. She recently had the honour of serving as Calgary/ Mohkinstsis 5th Poet Laureate. Her work combines survivor comedy with hopepunk sensibilities in the service of social change.

It Begins in Salt
“It Begins In Salt” is a powerful and thought-provoking poetry collection that delves into the complexities of family, love, and identity. Meisner’s writing is both lyrical and raw, exploring themes such as queerness, motherhood, and loss with honesty and vulnerability. The poems draw on a range of influences, from Greek mythology to pop culture, and are crafted in a variety of styles, from sonnets to prose poetry. With its captivating imagery and poignant reflections, “It Begins In Salt” offers a rich and rewarding reading experience.

Baddie One Shoe
Is a series of poetic odes to “Baddies”: That friend who finishes the bottle with you that needs finishing, stays till closing, holds your hair out of the way if needed.
The tough bitch who rescues you in a broken down car. The dyke who takes a punch.Takes one for the team? Sets the score card on fire and warms her hands over the glow? Her name is BADDIE ONE SHOE … she’s been here all along as you got on with life, did the work things, made a nest and had a family… she’s bided her time and now she wants out.

Double Pregnant
Girl meets girl. Girl marries girl. They want to have babies…but they need a little help. This is Meisner’s light-hearted, poignant and true story of starting a family with her wife.
Because she is a woman of colour who was adopted into a white family, the couple wants their children to have a connection to their donor and decide against taking the anonymous, sperm clinic route. But they realize they are going to need some help.
Taking matters into their own hands leads the couple to a series of often-hilarious “dates” with potential donors, all of whom have wildly different opinions on how the donation process should go, and how they should should proceed as a new family.

WRITER | PROFESSOR | MOM
Meisner is a wife and a mother to two great boys! Meisner is a full-time Professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Canada – where she works in the areas of creative writing, drama & gender/sexuality studies.




Making
Something
Inspirational
Teaching &
Learning
Meisner holds a Doctorate in English (UofC), MFA in Creative Writing from UBC, & BA in English & Theatre from Dalhousie/Kings College
Acclaimed work
Natalie has won 2019 Grand Prize of the Alberta Playwriting Competition with her play “Boom Baby!”
Books

It Begins in Salt
This book of poems wanders the halls of an ocean blue-collar life while rummaging the heart spaces of growing up, and evolves into mothering, labours, and loves.

BADDIE ONE SHOE
Is a series of poetic odes to “Baddies”: That friend who finishes the bottle with you that needs finishing, stays till closing, holds your hair out of the way if needed.

Legislating Love: The Everett Klippert Story
An uplifting play that celebrates queer love over generations while challenging us to remember and celebrate LGBTQ+ history.

Double Pregnant: Two Lesbians Make a Family
Girl meets girl. Girl marries girl. They want to have babies…but they need a little help.

My Mommy, My Mama, My Brother, and Me
With this gentle refrain, the debut picture book from celebrated author and playwright Natalie Meisner

Speed Dating for Sperm Donors
Can a lesbian couple find Mr. Right? Helen and Paige really want a baby. Maybe even two.
What They Say
Natalie Meisner
Natalie Meisner is a writer from Lockeport, Nova Scotia. Her plays have been produced across the country, won numerous awards, been collected in book form and appear in numerous Canadian Anthologies. Natalie has published several books and she has recently been named Calgary’s fifth Poet Laureate.
Meisner holds a Doctorate in English (University of Calgary), a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (University of British Columbia) and Bachelor’s degree in English from Dalhousie University. She has taught at the University of Regina, University of Calgary and currently is a Professor in the Department of English at Mount Royal University where she teaches creative writing, drama and literature.

Recent Prizes
2022
Oscar Wilde Award for Best Stage Play (Winner) for Legislating Love: The Everett Klippert Story. Dubin International Gay Theatre Festival, Ireland
2021
R. Ross Annett Award for Children’s Literature (Finalist) for My Mommy, My Mama, My Brother & Me. Alberta Literary Awards.
2019
Alberta Playwriting Competition (Winner) for Boom Baby. Alberta Playwright's Network.
The Media

Education News Canada
It has been a very big year for Natalie Meisner, PhD. The English and creative writing professor at Mount Royal University is a poet, playwright and author who has published three works in the span of a mere few months, with one more coming in 2020. Even just one publication every few years is a major accomplishment for any writer, so this veritable avalanche of printed works is unusual and significant.

University of Kings Alumni Association
The courage that it takes to just say okay I am not going to take the safe route… see ukingscommunity.ca