Barrett Warner (born April 1, 1962) is an American short story writer, poet, essayist, critic, and editor. The author of Until I’m Blue in the Face (1990), My Friend Ken Harvey (2014), and Why Is It So Hard to Kill You? (2016), his work has appeared in numerous literary journals and zines. He is a recipient of the Salamander fiction prize, the Tucson Festival of Books essay prize, and the Liam Rector, Chris Toll Memorial Chapbook, Cloudbank, and Princemere poetry prizes. In 2016, in recognition of his Maryland farm essays, he received an Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council. He used the grant to finance his move to South Carolina. Since 1983, he has been a genre editor for several literary magazines including William and Mary Review, Blood Lotus, Whomanwarp, and Free State Review. He currently serves as general editor of Free State Review as well as acquisitions editor for its publisher, Galileo Books, Ltd. He is married to author and poet Julia Wendell.
