Milena Nigam
Milena Nigam writes fiction, creative nonfiction and the occasional poem. Her work has been featured in Off Assignment, HuffPost and elsewhere, and her short story, "Switchbacks," was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. A fellow at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts and a contributor at the Sewanee Writer's Conference, Milena serves on the Board of Directors at Autumn House Press and reads for The Barcelona Review. She was recently interviewed on NPR's Here and Now, and is currently seeking representation for her first novel, set in Vienna.
Milena was born in Salt Lake City, UT; grew up in Concord, MA; and lives with her family in Pittsburgh, PA. Along the way, she's made significant stops in France, Poland, Cameroon, India, and northeastern Pennsylvania. Milena has a BA from Cornell University and an MS from Carnegie Mellon University.
Before turning to writing, Milena directed a nonprofit evaluation group serving children and families. She continues to support the nonprofit community through volunteer and board work.
Publications
Finding Myself in My Mother-in-Law's Saris
Article, Next Avenue, 2024
Article, The New York Times, 2024
I'm Afraid of Flying But Travel Anyway. Here are 3 Things That Help Me
Article, Business Insider, 2024
Article, Next Avenue, 2024; Featured on NPR's Here and Now
My Mom Was Killed Crossing the Street. Years Later, Here's What I Still Struggle to Accept
Article, HuffPost, 2024
My Kid's Grown. Will I Ever Learn to Keep My Opinions to Myself?
Article, Scary Mommy, 2023
I Had a Crush on My Male Midwife
Article, Scary Mommy, 2023
The Baby is Buoyancy
Short story, NELLE, 2023
Creative nonfiction, Off Assignment, 2023; 2024 finalist Women on Writing essay contest
To The American Businessman in the Hotel Room Next to Ours
Creative nonfiction, Litro, 2023
Short story, Prime Number Magazine, 2020
Poetry, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2018
Switchbacks
Short story, YARN, 2018; nominated for the 2019 Pushcart Prize
Short story, Lunch Ticket, 2018
Dead Animals
Short story, Slice Magazine, 2017/2018
Short story, Pithead Chapel, 2017
Poetry, Pittsburgh Quarterly Magazine, 2017
Creative nonfiction, Full Grown People, 2017
What Kind of Feeling is There?
Short story, Fourth River, 2017
Creative nonfiction, Lunch Ticket, 2017
Creative nonfiction, Hippocampus Magazine, 2016