melissa f. kaelin

Songs for the Heliosphere

Gearing up for a trip to Cape Canaveral to witness the launch of the Solar Orbiter, I asked friends to share their favorite songs about the sun, aurora and outer space. The resulting playlist is phenomenal! There are too many awesome songs to name, and these are just a few. It’s a bit of a…

#PoetNotes: A Series

New ideas are flowing for #PoetNotes, a series of my poetic musings on social media. I don’t always have the time it takes to compose a new poem, which led me to jot down these notes. Mostly on Instagram, these pieces of inspiration appear across social media channels. A selection of my poetry is posted…

Rare Beauty

Wonders of the night sky and rare natural phenomena have inspired a lot of my creative writing, especially in fiction. These pieces feature elements of the night: Aurora Novel, my debut novel based on Northern Lights Milky Way Novel, a work in progress featuring Milky Way mythology BlackJack, a short story of magical realism Crossing…

Painting the Light

After submitting to a gallery, I’m excited to share that several of my paintings were selected for exhibition and publication!

The Road to Whiteface Mountain

The Northern Lights dance above white-capped mountains in Iceland. Although this story takes place in the U.S., I spent a day writing about a beautiful mountain range.

Aurora Chasing

It’s 2 a.m. My eyes are bleary, my arms and legs tender from a lack of sleep. My dog can hardly keep her head upright, whether she is indoors or out, and my man looks once more longingly at the sky, as I do. This is how we appear after a night of Aurora Chasing.

Time for a NASA Social!

I’m thrilled to announce that I was selected for a volunteer opportunity as a NASA Social Media Ambassador, slated for early February! Soon, I’ll be southbound to share live updates from the Kennedy Space Center during NASA’s launch of the Solar Orbiter. What is a NASA Social? Check it out: https://www.nasa.gov/connect/social/index.html How will scientists use…

May You Begin Again

Juxtaposed with winter holidays, this emotional poem explores the seasons of romantic love in five parts. Read this new piece, yet to be titled.

#PoetNotes

A new series! Inspired by emerging talent, I find myself writing poetry for the first time in years. Not every day gives birth to a poem, so I started taking notes. Follow the hashtag on social media!

Creative Nonfiction

It’s time. I’m excited to share that I am relaunching my blog! This time, the writing will explore new topics, relate new adventures, and even offer creative advice. I’m eager to see where the creative expression will lead! Read the first new posts: Tireless with a Twist When the Water Rises Honoring Our Layers The…

“Thirsty for the Marvelous”

“I am so thirsty for the marvelous that only the marvelous has power over me. Anything I can not transform into something marvelous, I let go. Reality doesn’t impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another. No more walls.” — Anaïs Nin Art…

A Performing Debut

A Performing Debut In 2019, I’m thrilled to make my debut as an author who performs for a public audience! A year of literary adventures launches on May 18, 2019, when I read my work with Fiction 440 at the East Lansing Art Festival in Michigan. Readings continue into the month, with more events to…

A Chance for Creativity

After trying my hand at short-form fiction, I’m getting the hang of it! My first short story about the Milky Way was published in 2018. Check out these others: “Relic in a Bottle,” magical realism about a museum “The Cellist,” literary fiction “BlackJack: The Dawn of Dark Pollution,” speculative fiction “Seeing Orange,” literary fiction “The…