Kansas City Poet & Comedian
Abby Bland
Poet + Comic
Abby Bland is a Kansas City poet and comedian with a voice that’s as bold as it is tender. Their work explores everything from pop culture monsters to personal mythologies, always rooted in honesty and heart.
Abby’s one-person show, Godzilla’s Not A Dinosaur, won “Best of Venue” at the 2023 KC Fringe Festival and is currently touring. They've twice been named Best Spoken Word Artist by The Pitch. Whether on stage or on the page, Abby is known for transforming vulnerability into power and poetry.
Kansas City Poet Career Highlights
Kansas City Poet Career Highlights
2025 He[art]land Arts Fellow
2024 “Best Poet/Spoken Word Artist” in The Pitch’s Best of KC
2024 winner of the Central Avenue Poetry Prize
2023 “Best Poet/Spoken Word Artist” in The Pitch’s Best of KC
2023 “Best of Venue” at the KC Fringe
2022 ArtsKC Inspiration Grant Recipient
Jamie Campbell, Comedian
“Smart, unapologetic, and thoughtful.”
“Voices like Bland’s are vital, encouraging audiences to celebrate uniqueness and embrace authenticity.”
“Abby’s energy and enthusiasm are contagious! ”
Karen Staehling, KC Fringe 2024
“A Standout Performner.”
About Abby
Abby Bland is a Kansas City poet and performer. Her work has appeared in Ghost City Review, What Are Birds? and elsewhere. Her debut chapbook The Odds Against a Starry Cosmos was published in November 2020 with Perennial Press.
She is a multi time finalist on the Kansas City Slam stage, competed in the 2018 National Poetry Slam, the 2019 Rustbelt Regional Slam, and represented Kansas City at the 2020 Woman of the World Poetry Slam.
In 2022 she received an ArtsKC Inspiration grant for her one-person spoken word comedy show You Are Here which premiered as part of the Kansas City Fringe Festival. Her work blends spoken word poetry and comedy, exploring topics like mental health, personal growth, and the absurdity of the human experience.
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On The Blog
![Abby Bland Named a 2025 HE[ART]LAND Fellow](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ebabccac39a0a160e9682b6/c67ebda2-f0f1-4788-bdaf-dbf0d0216163/Screenshot+%281%29.png)
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