Ten Questions for Yanyi
“Then summer came and there was a lightning moment.” —Yanyi, author of Dream of the Divided Field
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Article Archive
Articles from Poet & Writers Magazine include material from the print edition plus exclusive online-only material.
The Face in the Whirlpool
The author of Eleutheria considers the literary value of the human instinct to look for faces everywhere.
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Ten Questions for Jane Pek
“What if there was an agency that verified people’s online dating personas?” —Jane Pek, author of The Verifiers
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You Can Never Just Do One Thing
The author of Eleutheria uses ecological principles to guide her writing.
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Small Press Points: Bitter Oleander Press
After a period of transition, the Fayetteville, New York, press will begin a new chapter with a focus on publishing poetry in translation from contemporary writers.
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Puerto Rican Writers in the Spotlight
The inaugural cohort of Letras Boricuas Fellows showcases the vitality and diversity of Puerto Rican literature.
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Page One: Where New and Noteworthy Books Begin
The first lines of a dozen noteworthy books including Pure Colour by Sheila Heti and Dream of the Divided Field by Yanyi.
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Giving Translators Their Due
A growing movement asks that literary translators receive equitable compensation and acknowledgement, starting with the inclusion of translators’ names on book covers.
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The Lampblack Model
Created in response to social uprisings and the pandemic, Lampblack offers direct aid and community to Black writers and publishes an annual magazine that furthers Black literature.
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All the Secrets of the World
An excerpt from All the Secrets of the World by Steve Almond, who writes in the March/April 2022 issue about the unpublished novels he wrote before this one, all of which were essential to showing him his ultimate job as a writer.
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The Perfectly Balanced Writers Group
The author’s failed attempts to find a writers group eventually lead her to build one of her own that offers the right mix of rigor and support.
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Reenvisioning the Writers Group
The author suggests writers group options that depart from the typical workshop model, such as freewriting, responding to prompts, and reading together.
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Literary MagNet: Sara Lippmann
The author reflects on magazines that offered homes to stories in her second collection, Jerks: “All the journals I’ve been lucky enough to publish with celebrate nervy writing.”
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The Written Image: Alternative Book Covers
To bring attention to gendered book marketing, designer Christine Rhee reenvisions the covers of classic and contemporary books in her satirical series “Fake Books for Men” and “Fake Books for Women.”
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Q&A: David Treuer of Pantheon
David Treuer, a writer, teacher, and recently appointed editor-at-large at Pantheon, discusses his focus on publishing emerging Indigenous writers and the possibilities of his new role.
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The Many Different Kinds of Writers Groups
A look at the ways writers can benefit from distinctly different kinds of gatherings, including groups offering accountability partners, workshop feedback, and publishing advice.
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Confessions of a Failed Novelist: If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try, Try, Try, and Try Again
The best-selling nonfiction author describes the craft lessons he drew from the false starts that paved the way for his debut novel, All the Secrets of the World.
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A Practical Guide to Starting a Group of Your Own
The novelist and teacher offers advice on starting a writers group where your creative work can thrive.
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A Former Pollyanna Learns the Value of Critical Feedback
After experiencing a writers group that only delivered praise, the author realizes the value of constructive feedback and offers guidance on how best to give it.
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The Anthologist: A Compendium of Uncommon Collections
Three new anthologies, including The Long Devotion: Poets Writing Motherhood.
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Becoming a Mother-Writer: Notes on Reconciling the Personal, the Professional, and the Political
Advice on becoming a writer ignores the impact of motherhood—and fails to acknowledge the privileges of canonical writers. The author describes learning “to see art-making as a professional possibility” as a brown mother-writer.
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The Fully Fact-Checked Memoir: Backing Up Facts, Standing Behind Truth
While editing her memoir about the history and methodology of mental health diagnoses, the author gains a new respect for fact-checking and more confidence in her book.
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Ten Questions for Angel Dominguez
“How do you navigate a life in opposition to and in spite of systemic racism, with poetry?” —Angel Dominguez, author of Desgraciado
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Ten Questions for Sarah Manguso
“Don’t let an algorithm tell you what to read. Disobey the algorithm.” —Sarah Manguso, author of Very Cold People
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Hot but Heavy
The author of Nobody’s Magic considers what happens when you lust after your own characters.
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