Joan Gelfand's poetry and short stories have appeared in numerous national literary journals. In 2005, she received the Chaffin Fiction Award.

She is the author of "Seeking Center: A Collection of Poems," and the upcoming "A Dreamer's Guide to Cities and Streams," published by San Francisco Bay Press.

Of "A Dreamer's Guide..." California State Poet Laureate Al Young writes:

“...In that space between day and night/Romance and expectation loiter.' Loiter. Yes. On such smooth and well-charged turns, Joan Gelfand's poems vibrate, shudder or take flight, roaring and purring to safe and not so safe landings in the heart, in the gut. Readers, beware. This is powerful stuff."