The Dangerous Country of Love and Marriage
Auckland University Press · Poetry
An intricate weave of psalms, letters, and love poems mapping the fragile, seismic terrain of commitment, migration, and belief.
Read more →Poet · Actor · Scholar
Words for the stage,
the page,
and the in-between.
Amy Leigh Wicks is a poet, actor, and educator whose work moves between performance and the written word – exploring faith, memory, and the quiet strangeness of everyday life.
From The Dangerous Country of Love and Marriage
“Once I said, I want to be a lawyer, a doctor, and a ballerina— I woke twenty years later writing these poems.”
About Amy
Poet · Actor · Educator
Originally from New York City and now shaped by seasons in Aotearoa New Zealand, Amy’s work lives at the intersection of poetry, performance, and spiritual inquiry.
She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Victoria University of Wellington’s International Institute of Modern Letters and an MFA from The New School in New York, and has served in roles ranging from poet and performer to teacher and dean.
Her poems move between oceans and apartments, earthquakes and altars, family kitchens and liturgical spaces – always listening for the quiet, subversive ways love remakes us.
Areas of Work
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Poetry & Books
Author of The Dangerous Country of Love and Marriage and Orange Juice and Rooftops, with work appearing in journals and anthologies.
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Performance & Acting
Stage and screen work that blends character, confession, and embodied storytelling.
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Teaching & Mentoring
Workshops, lectures, and one-to-one guidance in creative writing, performance, and the disciplines of daily practice.
Poetry
Collections & Selected Work
Poems that cross continents, marriages, fault lines, and faith – attentive to both the ache and the tenderness of being human.
Orange Juice and Rooftops
Poetry · Debut Collection
A first gathering of poems attentive to city streets, family stories, and the small, luminous details that make a life.
Read more →For essays, shorter poems, and recent collaborations, visit the journal & media section.
Browse recent publications →Performance & Acting
Presence, character, confession
On stage and on camera, Amy’s work explores the emotional depth of character – moving between vulnerability, humor, and the quiet, mysterious places where confession becomes something more than self-disclosure.
Her performances draw on years of training, teaching, and artistic research, layering voice, movement, and text to invite audiences into a deeply present, shared space.
Featured Clips
Confessional Transcendence – Podcast Conversation
A long-form conversation on presence, performance, and poetry.
Listen to the episodeSelected performance reading
A live reading of poems from The Dangerous Country of Love and Marriage.
Teaching & Mentoring
Workshops · Courses · One-to-one
With experience in higher education, conservatory training, and community workshops, Amy designs learning spaces where writers, actors, and artists can experiment bravely and grow at a sustainable pace.
Offerings range from semester-long courses to one-off intensives, retreats, and tailored mentoring for individuals or small ensembles.
Current & Recent Offerings
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Writing the Fault Line
A workshop on crafting poems in times of upheaval – personal, relational, or seismic.
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Voice, Body, Text
For actors and poets interested in the shared craft of breath, presence, and listening.
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One-to-One Manuscript Mentoring
Feedback and support for poetry collections-in-progress or hybrid projects.
For upcoming offerings or to explore a custom workshop:
Get in touch about teaching →Books
Collections in print
These collections can be ordered through publishers, independent bookstores, and select online retailers.
The Dangerous Country of Love and Marriage
Poetry · Auckland University Press
Poems written across oceans and after earthquakes, asking what we vow to each other and to God when the ground does not hold steady.
Orange Juice and Rooftops
Poetry · Debut Collection
A debut full of city light, rooftops, kitchens, and the early attempts at naming what we love and what we lose.
Media & Selected Publications
Interviews · Podcasts · Journals
A few places where Amy’s work and voice can be found in the world. This section can expand as new conversations & publications appear.
Podcast
Confessional Transcendence – Makers & Mystics
A conversation about presence, performance, poetry, and the sacred work of telling the truth on and off stage.
Download episode →Journal / Essay
“An Introduction to An Introduction”
On painting through pain, curiosity, and the slow work of returning to creative practice after brain injury.
Read the essay →Interview
Poetry Shelf Conversation
A wide-ranging conversation on poetry as prayer, earthquakes, and writing between homes.
Read the interview →Social
Instagram · @amyleighwicks
Glimpses of daily life, process, and in-progress pages – a more informal companion to the work on this site.
Visit Instagram →Notes from the in-between
Occasional letters · Not spam
Receive occasional letters with new poems, upcoming events, and reflections on the practice of making work in a world that is always in motion.
Contact
Readings · Collaborations · Teaching
For invitations, collaboration proposals, or questions about books, teaching, or media, please use the form here. For rights or publishing inquiries, mention the relevant book and publisher in your message.