Shanan Ballam survived a massive stroke in January 2022 which left her without speech and without the use of the entire right side of her body. She never quit writing poetry, though, and she was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Utah Original Writing Contest for her entry "first poems after the stroke" in October of 2022. Her poetry has recently appeared in Sugar House Review, Wordgathering: A Journal of Disability Poetry and Literature, Kaleidoscope, and The Quarter(ly).
