The Future of Barnes & Noble
Publishing insiders weigh in on the challenges facing the U.S. bookstore chain, which was sold to a hedge fund in June for $683 million.
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Article Archive
Articles from Poet & Writers Magazine include material from the print edition plus exclusive online-only material.
Furious Flower Grows in Virginia
The nation’s oldest academic center dedicated to preserving Black poetry celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary.
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Page One: Where New and Noteworthy Books Begin
The first lines of a dozen noteworthy books, including Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat and Make It Scream, Make It Burn by Leslie Jamison.
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Merwin’s Garden
The Merwin Conservancy will become the official owner and steward of the garden that poet W. S. Merwin nurtured for more than forty years.
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Reviewers & Critics: Daniel Mendelsohn of the New York Review of Books
One of the most prominent and liveliest critics in the United States discusses whether or not literary criticism can be taught, the value of negative criticism, and more.
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Historical Fiction: The Pleasures and Perils of Writing About Other Eras
How do you handle research? How indebted do you feel to stick to the historical record? Two novelists discuss their experiences researching, imagining, and depicting earlier times.
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Ten Questions for Karen Skolfield
“Throw pencils, get mad, take a walk. Swear off poetry, read a chapter of a post-apocalyptic novel, wash the dishes. Feel better? Back to writing.” —Karen Skolfield, author of Battle Dress
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Craft Capsule: Looking Elsewhere
The author of the story collection Black Light finds the best writing lessons in the most unlikely places.
Manuals for Living: What Our Favorite Novels Teach Us About Ourselves
We return to certain novels not only to be enchanted and inspired, to be transported out of ourselves, but also to know ourselves more deeply.
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Ten Questions for Jess Row
“Writers are artists, which means that...we have to work hard to protect our creative time, our imaginations, in the midst of all the other parts of our lives.” —Jess Row, author of White Flights
Craft Capsule: The Art of Brutal Editing
The author of Black Light explores the pleasures of cutting a manuscript down to size.
Paris Review Names Vijay Seshadri Poetry Editor
The storied publication has announced that Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Vijay Seshadri will serve as its twelfth poetry editor.
Ten Questions for Sarah Elaine Smith
“Debt is the last thing writers need, and the least helpful aid to actual real-life writing.” —Sarah Elaine Smith, author of Marilou Is Everywhere
Craft Capsule: In Praise of Writing in Longhand
The author of the story collection Black Light explores the problem-solving benefits of writing in longhand.
Ten Questions for Jana Prikryl
“Crucial to writing the book was the panic I started feeling about halfway through.” —Jana Prikryl, author of No Matter
Craft Capsule: Ordering the Story Collection
The author of Black Light explores the daunting process of ordering a story collection.
Mother Language: A Q&A With Tina Chang
The poet laureate of Brooklyn, New York, on writing hybrid forms, a life in the arts, and the racial tension at the heart of her new book, Hybrida.
Whiting Foundation Announces 2019 Literary Magazine Prizes
The winners of the 2019 Literary Magazines Prizes are the Common, American Short Fiction, Margins, the Black Warrior Review, and the Offing.
Ten Questions for Courtney Maum
“Listen, it can’t feel magical every day, of course, but writing does have the potential to be an act of joy.” —Courtney Maum, author of Costalegre
Craft Capsule: Oblique Strategies
The author of the story collection Black Light explores the generative power of “the weird.”
Ten Questions for Helen Phillips
“I have never before written something where the primary challenge was not one of craft or character or structure but rather of emotion.” —Helen Phillips, author of The Need
Full Immersion: A Q&A With Shane Jones
The author of Vincent and Alice and Alice discusses the challenge of plot and character development, the pros and cons of indie publishing, and what new risks he took in his new novel.
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Ten Questions for Caite Dolan-Leach
“Let people read your work, and listen to what they say about it.” —Caite Dolan-Leach, author of We Went to the Woods
Ten Questions for Peter Orner
“Though this is my sixth book, I take nothing for granted.” —Peter Orner, author of Maggie & Other Stories
Poetry Society of America Honors Alice Quinn and Paul Simon
The Poetry Society of America honored its longtime executive director, Alice Quinn, and singer-songwriter Paul Simon at its annual benefit.