Phaye Poliakoff-Chen is an interdisciplinary artist and writer in Baltimore, MD. In addition to writing fiction and leading community arts programs, she has also had a long career in radio, producing documentaries for public radio about a variety of topics from prostitution to land use to immigration. She directed an urban youth media program, Uniquely Spoken, under the auspices of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and funded by the Open Society Foundation. Her collection of short fiction, The Art of Work, was published by Booktrope. Her work can also be found in Frontiers, Southern Exposure, and other publications. Phaye has enjoyed a long career in higher education, most recently at Goucher College, where she directed the Major in Interdisciplinary Studies and the Professional and Creative Writing program.

Currently, Phaye directs the arts and writing project Earl’s Place Arts (EPA) at Earl’s Place, a transitional housing facility for men experiencing homelessness in Baltimore. EPA started 11 years ago as part of a community radio course she taught at Goucher College. The students and the residents found new understandings and deep connections that continue to this day. Our work can be found on display in the garden of the Ivy Bookshop on Falls Road in Baltimore. Every year, we offer pieces for sale; those proceeds support the work of Earl’s Place and the new lives of the men who live there.

Phaye lives in Baltimore, MD with her husband Allen Chen. Taking great delight in transdisciplinary connections, Phaye travels frequently to collaborate with artists, writers, and other creators.