hi, i'm shepard
24 | author & freelance artist
HE/HIM & THEY/THEM
Shepard DiStasio (He/They) is a transmasc, disabled writer and artist. He received his MA in Creative Writing and Classics from the University of Chicago. They are a Swarthout Poetry Award winner, and their debut novel, VEIL US IN GOLD, is a 2023 Indie Ink Award finalist for Trans/Nonbinary Representation. Outside of writing, playing ttrpgs, and drawing his OCs more than writing about them, Shepard is an avid enemies-to-lovers fan, poetry nerd, and quite the recliner according to their two cats, Pumpkin and Obi-Wan. He is represented by Kirsten Lang at Zeno Literary Agency.
publications
*Books –
represented by Kirsten lang at zeno literary agencyPrey for him - on submission (105k gothic horror romance)Veil Us in Gold, Independent Publishing, 2023
-- Indie Ink Awards Finalist for Transgender/Nonbinary Representation, Queer Indie Awards 8x nominee
-- rainbowcrate june 2025 book selection(Forthcoming, 2026) Bind You by Blood. Sequel to Veil Us in Gold.
poems and prose
(2025) "you who are the most cherished and loved by me" - received high commendation in passionfruit review 2025 poetry contest
(2025) "rainy day funds" - poetry in wasteland review, issue 3
(2025) “Genesis 19:1-11” – Poetry in Reverent Anthology, curated by Quinton Li
(2025) “le stade du miroir” – Poetry for DOG TEETH
(2022) “My Mother’s Stew” - Prose for Lux Creative Review, Issue 18 p. 14
(2022) “Blue” - Poetry for Lux Creative Review, Issue 18 p. 35 -- Poetry Section Award Winner
Translations
(2023) French Translation of Ed Bok Lee’s “Water in Love” for Hayden’s Ferry Review