About Paul

Writer • Theater Artist • Multimodal Creative

Paul Halley is a writer, performer, multimodal artist, and experienced digital content specialist from New York. Paul graduated from SUNY Potsdam in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in English and currently studies in the MFA program in Creative Writing at Manhattanville University. Paul has written and directed two original one-act plays: ANA (2008, Elmwood Playhouse) and Supergiant (2009, Suffern High School). Paul has also published poetry and prose in Chameleon Literary-Art Magazine (Suffern High School), North Country Literary Magazine (SUNY Potsdam), and Blueline Literary Magazine (SUNY Potsdam). His poetry will be featured in a new anthology, Poems for a Wish, published by Hudson Valley Arts Collective, in partnership with Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley, in 2026. Additionally, Paul's debut full-length audio drama, TURN, narrated and performed by the author himself, arrives on all major streaming platforms in 2026.

Educational & Professional Background

Education
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing, Manhattanville University
  • Purchase, NY | 2025-Present (current student)
  • GPA: 3.88
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English Writing, SUNY Potsdam
  • Potsdam, NY | 2013-2017
  • Graduated in 2017 | Degree conferred in 2018
  • Completed General and Advanced Honors Requirements

General & Advanced Honors Program | SUNY Potsdam (2016-2017)

  • Satisfied requirements for the General and Advanced Honors Programs, as reflected on final transcript.
  • General Honors Project: Original student film presented as part of SUNY Potsdam's Bicentennial Celebrations (2016).
  • Advanced Honors Project: Feature-length oral history film on the experiences of racial (in)equality of college students in Northern New York (2017).
Editorial, Content & Communications

Poetry Reader @ Inkwell Literary Magazine, Manhattanville University

  • Purchase, NY • Fall 2025 • Co-curricular
  • Reviewed, evaluated, and voted on approximately 30 poetry submissions, providing critical feedback to senior editors during the Fall '25 open reading period.

Web Content Editor @ Elmwood Playhouse

  • Nyack, NY | Feb 2023 to October 2025
  • Managed and updated all web content using WordPress and WPBakery, including composing new event pages and ensuring best practices for image optimization across the site.

Content Production Specialist @ Mellon Foundation

  • New York, NY | December 2022 to April 2023
  • Oversaw the manual content migration for a multi-million-dollar website overhaul for Mellon Foundation (mellon.org), designed and developed by Work & Co., by building out the site on Contentful CMS and ensuring content accuracy based on wireframes and developer guides.

Project Assistant, Web Team @ NYS Dept. of Labor

  • Albany, NY | November 2020 to February 2022
  • Contributed to the redesign of the public-facing website (dol.ny.gov) by overhauling two major web sections in Drupal CMS, composing new pages, and managing both digital assets and public web inquiries.
Teaching & Tutoring Writing

Academic Specialist, Pre-College Program • VISIONS-Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired

  • Purchase, NY • Summer 2025
  • Served as a full-time, temporary Academic Specialist for the VISIONS Pre-College Program, providing comprehensive academic writing support to over 20 students participating in the interdisciplinary Intro to College course. This involved observing and guiding students through the writing process—focusing on thesis writing, argument crafting, and citing sources—and drafting individualized feedback and revision recommendations.

 

Teacher Education Workshops
  • Child Abuse Identification and Reporting (Teachers College, Columbia University, Sept. 2024)
  • School Violence Prevention (Teachers College, Columbia University, Sept. 2024)
  • Dignity for All Students Act (Mercy University, Sept. 2024)
Portfolio