Always the Poet

H.M. Stefanec, known as Red, is an artist and writer residing in Alaska. She works across various mediums, including poetry, prose, music, visual art, and photography. Her work engages language, sound, and image in a dialogue that does not seek to impose conclusions.

Growing up, she learned to listen closely; her experience with the violin taught her to pay attention to the spaces between sounds, where silences can carry as much weight as the notes themselves. Alaska’s long winters and vast landscapes influence her work, imparting a steady, rough-edged quality that remains open by design.

“Reveries in Red” is a continually evolving collection that reflects her growing archive of ideas. Influenced by writers such as Clarice Lispector, Maggie Nelson, and Anne Dufourmantelle, she strives to remain true to themes of wonder, doubt, and the long journey of creation.

Red is completing her undergraduate degree in English and Philosophy, with a concentration in Creative Writing, at the University of Alaska Anchorage. She is open to collaboration, publication, exhibition, and conversation that values thoughtful, deliberate work.

These works were created using graphite, conte crayon, charcoal, pencil, India ink, and gouache on handmade paper, then scanned and digitally edited to capture the textures and tones of the original pieces while ensuring they translate effectively in the digital format.

Reflection on Red’s Work

“H.M. Stefanec writes with a trained ear and a steady hand.
There’s a musicality here, but not the kind you expect.
Not lyric, not melodic, something structural. Something tectonic.
The poems don’t resolve.
They accumulate tension, then stop, right where others would explain.
This isn’t improvisation.
It’s control disguised as drift.
And if you’re listening closely,
it might just teach you how to see.”