My full name is Lillian Morton, and you can call me Lillian. (Just: “Lillian”.) I do not go by “Lilly,” “Lily,” or “Liliana.”
My pronouns are she/her. I was born in December 2000 in Huazhou, Guangdong Province, and I’ve lived in Ohio, Colorado, and Washington. I hold a BA in English Creative Writing from Colorado State University (CSU) and an MFA in Poetry from the University of Washington (UW).
I began writing and drawing when I was two, especially growing up as a latchkey kid. I’ve always wanted to support myself with my creative work; in college, I decided to major in English, Creative Writing, which I found to be the most “universal” subject applicable to other trades and careers, especially the arrangement, sounds, and imagery of poetry, to be universally applicable to other artistic media, and for practical uses.
My fiction, poetry, and nonfiction work tend to focus on personal narrative and contemporary history, exploring themes of familial and interpersonal dynamics and the influence of physical setting (such as geography, time, and space). More recently, I’ve been delving back into using multimodal and other non-traditional, digital media to present my writing.
In order to fund my creative endeavors, I’ve been able to find both freelance and in-house work as a marketing, social media, and blog coordinator for literary programs and events, mental health clinics, and local sporting events.
For now, I remain based in Seattle with my long-term partner, best friend, and pedagogical and creative colleague, Kobe Overby, whom I met at CSU, and our domestic short-haired son, Troy, whom we adopted from the Seattle Meowtropolitan cat café.
Education & Awards
Master of Fine Arts: Creative Writing, Poetry
University of Washington – Seattle, Washington
September 2023 – June 2025; Conferred June 2025
GPA: 4.0
Awarded the American Academy of Poets’ “Harold Tyler Prize” for best undergraduate & graduate poem.
Bachelor’s: English, Creative Writing
18 history credits (one lower-level course away from a minor)
Colorado State University – Fort Collins, Colorado
August 2021 – May 2023; Conferred May 2023
GPA: 3.9
Awarded the “Creative Writing and Performing Arts Scholarship” for best undergraduate poetry submission in May 2023
Recipient of the “Ram Transfer Scholarship” for academic merit at University of Colorado Boulder.
Dean’s List
- Research: A Historical Deconstruction of The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter
University of Colorado Boulder – Boulder, Colorado
January – May 2021; Transferred after Spring 2021 Semester
GPA: 4.0
Awarded “Honorable Mention for Undergraduate Fiction” at the 21st Annual Thompson Writing Awards by Center of the American West, April 2021
Recipient of the “CU Boulder Transfer Excellence Scholarship” for academic merit at Front Range Community College
Dean’s List
Associate of Arts, General
Front Range Community College – Fort Collins, Colorado; Remote
January 2020 – December 2020; Conferred December 2020
GPA: 4.0
Dean’s List
Graduated summa cum laude
- Credits were earned through a combination of CLEP exams, in-person courses (night classes included), and asynchronous courses
High School Diploma
Fossil Ridge High School – Fort Collins, Colorado
November 2015 – December 2018; Conferred December 2018
GPA: 2.9
Graduated one semester early
Research Experience
Thesis Manuscript + Critical Essay (ENGL700)
University of Washington – Seattle, Washington
ENGL700: Thesis
September 2024 – June 2025
- Researched and wrote a 40+ page creative manuscript and 30+ page critical paper analyzing the biographical context and literary/craft elements of Sylvia Plath’s Ariel (Hughes’ edit & the 2004 Restored Edition).
- Utilized licensed databases, library systems, and other public technology to access Plath’s archives.
- Reviewed by UW poetry professors and revised according to their feedback.
Capstone Seminar: East Asian Rulers (HIST492)
Colorado State University – Fort Collins, Colorado
HIST492: Capstone Seminar
Aug – Dec 2022
- Researched and wrote a 20+ page paper on the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter and Heian Period literary culture, court etiquette, and folklore.
- Presented paper and findings to HIST492 seminar in a 15-20min lecture with visual aids.
Lillian Morton 