Gerstler was editor of the 2010 edition of the anthology Best American Poetry.[6] She is also the author of art reviews, book reviews,[7] fiction, and occasional journalistic essays. She has collaborated with visual artists, including Alexis Smith, and her writing has been published in numerous exhibition catalogs.
Described by the Los Angeles Times as "one of the best poets in the nation," [8] her 2009 book, Dearest Creature, was named one of the notable books of the year by the New York Times.[9]
Scattered at Sea, her 2015 collection, was longlisted for the National Book Award.[10]
She is married to artist and author Benjamin Weissman.