She was born in Santa Monica, California, and was raised in Auckland, New Zealand, and holds dual-citizenship.
She has won a Pushcart Prize, and received a Ruth Lilly Fellowship alongside fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, the Kerouac House of Orlando, and the Djerassi Resident Artists Program.
[6] In 2019, Honum was the recipient of the Grimshaw Sargeson Fellowship and focused her work on forced adoptions in New Zealand during the 1950s through the 1970s.
[9] Her work has been published in Poetry Magazine,[10] The Adroit Journal,[11] Blackbird,[12] Tupelo Quarterly,[13] and Shenandoah.
[14] Honum cites her background as a ballerina in her youth as an influence, stating, "As in ballet, in poetry I’m drawn to precision, strength, and music.