River Selby is a writer, teacher, PhD candidate, and former wildland firefighter.

Their memoir, HOTSHOT, is forthcoming on August 12, 2025.

They were born in Los Angeles and grew up in the Pacific Northwest. At nineteen, River began working as a wildland firefighter. They spent four years on elite fire crews (called hotshots), and seven years fighting fires altogether, working in California, Oregon, Colorado, and Alaska.

River has also worked as a hotel housekeeper, nanny, fast food cashier, bartender, and stripper.

Their work has been published in Bellevue Literary Review, Boulevard, the New Ohio Review, Slate, High Country News, Tricycle Buddhist Review, and Bitch, amongst others.

Read their newsletters: WILDERNESS and NAVEL GAZING.

River holds an MFA in creative writing (fiction) from Syracuse University. They graduated with their Bachelor of Arts in English and Textual Studies (summa cum laude) at 35 years-old– the first person in their family to earn a college degree.

They are currently pursuing their PhD in literature and nonfiction.

River has 500 hours of yoga teacher training and teaches restorative, rehabilitative, somatic and yoga nidra movement and meditation, specifically for folks in marginalized bodies.

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