Melenie Freedom Flynn is the recipient of fellowships from the Elizabeth George Foundation and Massachusetts Cultural Council to support the completion of her memoir Backseat Gambler — a chronicle of what was lost and won growing up the daughter of a gambler whose spiritual curiosity led to Rajneeshpuram, the infamous 1980s intentional community in Eastern Oregon.

A graduate of the MFA Acting Program at California Institute of the Arts, Melenie has performed in theatres across the country including the New York Theatre Workshop, the Kitchen (NY), and Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre (MA) She is the recipient of a MacDowell Fellowship, Djerassi Artist-in-Residence Fellowship, Atlantic Center for the Arts Residency, and scholarships to the Community of Writers Workshop.