RITA S. SPALDING is a Kentucky poet and recipient of awards from Louisville Poetry Guild, Jefferson Community and Technology College, Elizabethtown Community College, National Library of Poetry, Kentucky State Poetry Society, Kentucky Monthly and is nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She is published in 18 Calliope anthologies, National Library of Poetry Anthology, the Heartland Review, AX-POW Magazine, Kentucky Monthly Magazine, Keeping the Flame Alive anthologies, Fallen by Jimmy Broccoli, The Rye Whiskey Review, Walden’s Poetry and Reviews and Rebirth Anthology, Poet Tree and Kentucky Humanities. Her first book is Abstract Ribbons. The Eighth is a collection of poetry about self discovery and a third book, What is Beauty, examines the meaning of beauty in our lives.
In January 2020 Rita returned to university studies at Murray State University, studied in London, and in 2024 graduated summa cum laude with a degree in sociology. She received the 2025 Murray State University Outstanding Senior in Sociology Award.
Instagram poet.ritaspalding1
n The Eighth, award-winning poet Rita S Spalding invites readers into a lyrical journey woven with memory, mystery, and the pulse of possibility. With the precision of a wordsmith and the spirit of a storyteller, Spalding’s verses echo with the rhythm of life—its trials, triumphs, and transformative moments.
From quiet observations to bold declarations, these poems speak to the strength of vulnerability and the magic in the mundane. Whether you’re a seasoned poetry lover or new to the form, The Eighth offers a space to pause, reflect, and maybe even rediscover yourself between the lines.
Rita S Spalding is the author of Abstract Ribbons and a frequent voice in regional poetry circles, magazines, and anthologies. She lives for language, loves her Jeep, and believes poetry should never be parked.
