Writing Resume/CV

Helene’s writing has been been published in The Porter Gulch Review, Catamaran, La Revista, Mindprints, Phren-Z, Serving House Journal, Red Wheelbarrow and Nerve Cowboy. In 2003, she received the “best prose” award from Porter Gulch for her short story “Josefina” and again in 2009 for her short play “FUBMC.” In November of 2006, Helene’s play “The Tongue” was part of a festival at the African American Shakespeare Company in San Francisco. In 2007, her poem “The Difference” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

She has self-published the book Because I Had To, a collection of short stories, poems, plays and monologues. It was an Amazon Kindle bestseller in July, 2014. Her book True Doll Stories We Remember is published by Ingram Sparks. She has also recently published her third book, a collection of short stories called Turn Left at the Gorilla and Go Down the Hall, as well as her fourth book, Life On The Stand, a memoir of her time working as an artist’s model. Me! Me! Me!, her latest book of short stories, was released in December 2023. You can learn more about her books here.

HONORS

2003 – “Josefina” – Best Prose Award, Porter Gulch Review

2004 – “Ashes” – Finalist, Glimmer Train

2004 – “Do You Want to Be Happy?” – Finalist, Glimmer Train

2006 – “Boxes” – 2nd Place, Carl Cherry Center for the Arts (Carmel, CA)

2007 – “The Difference” – nominated for the Pushkin Prize, Mind Prints

2009 – “FUBMC” – Best Prose, Porter House Review

2011 – “Vat Means Rad” and “Objets D’art” – Best Prose Writer, Porter Gulch Review

2014 – Featured Poet at Poetry Circle, Watsonville, CA

PUBLISHED

2000 – “Who’s Ed?” – short story – Mindprints (Literary Journal)

2000 – “Josefina” (Spanish version) – short story – La Revista (Literary Journal)

2002 – “Thirst” – short story – Porter Gulch Review

2003 – “Josefina” – short story – Best Prose Award, Porter Gulch Review

2004 – “The Hug” – short story – Porter Gulch Review

2004 – “Ashes” – short story – finalist, Glimmertrain

2004 – “Do You Want to Be Happy” short story – finalist, Glimmertrain

2005 – “Is That All?” – short story – Porter Gulch Review

2005 – “Peek a Boo” – play – Porter Gulch Review

2005 – “What Do You Say?” – poem – Porter Gulch Review

2006 – “Unruly” – short story – Gambara Literary Review

2006 – “Thigs” – play – Porter Gulch Review

2006 – “The Difference” – poem – Nerve Cowboy

2006 – “Boxes” – short story – 2nd Place, Carl Cherry Center for the Arts (Carmel, CA)

2007 – “The Difference” – poem – nominated for Pushcart Prize, Mindprints

2008 – “19 Surprising Things Men Have Said To Me” – poem – Porter Gulch Review

2009 – “FUBMC” – short story – Best Prose, Porter Gulch Review

2010 – “Vat Means Rad” – monologue – Carl Cherry Center for the Arts (Carmel, CA)

2011 – “Vat Means Rad” & “Objets D’art” – Best Prose, Porter Gulch Review

2013 – “Laughing” – short story – Porter Gulch Review

2013 – “More Time” – Phren-Z online journal (Santa Cruz, CA)

2013 – “Difficult Life” – Phren-Z online journal (Santa Cruz, CA)

2014 – “Buying Time” – short story – The Muse, Cabrillo College (Aptos, CA)

2014 – “Starving”, “Two-Timer”, “19 Surprising Things Men Have Said to Me” – Serving House Journal

2014 – “The House” – poem – read at Canto y Flor, Cabrillo College (Watsonville, CA)

2014 – “Bacon and Eggs” – short story – Porter Gulch Review

2014 – “On the Train” – Phren-Z online journal (Santa Cruz, CA)

2015 – “A Night on the Subway” – Porter Gulch Review

2015 – “The House” – Porter Gulch Review

2015 – “Dyslexia Earns a Salad” – Porter Gulch Review

2016 – “Just Accept Me” – Porter Gulch Review

2017 – “Eight to Five” – The Muse, Cabrillo College (Aptos, CA)

2017 – “Eight to Five” – Phren-Z online journal (Santa Cruz, CA)

2017 – “Eight to Five” – Porter Gulch Review

2017 – “Sinners” – Porter Gulch Review

2018 – “The House” – Catamaran

2019 – “What We Knew” – Porter Gulch Review

2020 – “Sea Plaque” – Red Wheelbarrow

2020 – “Script” & “I Don’t Know, Never Mind” – Porter Gulch Review

2021 – “The Promise” – Porter Gulch Review

2022 – “An Open Box” & “Elevator Man” – Phren-Z

2024 – “On The Edge of Ocean View Park” – Porter Gulch Review