The Moment of Origin: A Profile of Susan Choi
For novelist Susan Choi, history holds a fascination that can lead to fiction with a present-day relevance.
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Article Archive
Articles from Poet & Writers Magazine include material from the print edition plus exclusive online-only material.
Ten Questions for Ashley M. Jones
“I wish all writers the audiences they desire and the acclaim they deserve.” —Ashley M. Jones, author of Lullaby for the Grieving
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Arthur Sze Named U.S. Poet Laureate
During his term as poet laureate, Sze plans to have a special focus on poetry in translation.
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Ten Questions for Jeannie Vanasco
“When an impediment arrives, I try writing about it. This helps me remain patient.” —Jeannie Vanasco, author of A Silent Treatment
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Writing on Grief: Robert Frost
The author of Indigo (Copper Canyon Press, 2020) reflects on the lessons Robert Frost offers us when writing about loss.
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Ten Questions for Patrick Ryan
“Stop telling yourself you can’t do this.” —Patrick Ryan, author of Buckeye
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Ten Questions for Austyn Wohlers
“[Y]ou can’t edit something into being good before getting it down.” —Austyn Wohlers, author of Hothouse Bloom
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Writing on Grief: The Practice of Coding
The author of Indigo (Copper Canyon Press, 2020) recommends writers use coding when trying to describe loss.
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Arts Funding in Peril
Literary and arts organizations are left reeling after budget cuts at the NEA, NEH, and IMLS.
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How to Pick an MFA Program
Faculty, program type, format, and size are just a few of factors to consider when finding a school that suits who you are as a writer.
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A Strong and Simple “I Must”: Rebuilding Confidence in the Wake of an Agent Breakup
After an unexpected split from her longtime agent, an author reconnects with her sense of calling and remembers who she writes for: herself.
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Agents & Editors: Katie Raissian
An executive editor at Scribner, previously a senior editor at Grove Atlantic, Katie Raissian talks about learning to be fearless, what grabs her in a query, and the art of publishing books.
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How to Think About the Value of a Creative Writing Degree
A writing degree’s worth lies in early readers met, sacred hours at the desk, life-changing books, and deep community.
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The Value of Our Work: What Writers Can Learn From the Harvard Business School
An author who worked for years as a scribe at the Harvard Business School shares the lessons she learned that can be applied to writing, most notably: Believe that what you do is valuable.
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Reimagining Place: Setting as Convergence
A novelist explores the craft of imagining a fictional setting based on a real-world location that holds a capacity for convergence, a place where many threads intersect and many stories are born.
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The New Nonfiction 2025
Essays by debut authors Sarah Aziza, Erika J. Simpson, Julian Brave NoiseCat, Amanda Hess, and Samina Najmi as well as excerpts from their books.
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Looking for Love in a Time of Global Loneliness: A Profile of Kiran Desai
In her third novel, The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, which comes out nearly twenty years after her Booker Prize–winning The Inheritance of Loss, Kiran Desai considers loneliness in all its states of loss and heartache, possibility and promise, through the lens of a love story.
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Haunted by My Almost-Book: The Afterlife of a Canceled Contract
A poet who canceled the contract for her debut collection describes the difficult years-long process of scrubbing the internet of erroneous information about her book.
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Beyond Our Borders: Understanding Foreign Rights in Publishing
An agent with twenty years of experience selling foreign rights on both sides of the Atlantic unpacks what can appear to be a complicated and unfamiliar aspect of book publishing.
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Toasting Eternity With Harryette Mullen
With Regaining Unconsciousness, her first poetry collection in twelve years, Harryette Mullen sounds an alarm for our uncertain future with a poetics both urgent and playful.
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How to Write the Personal Essay for MFA Applications
Use your essay to answer the question: Devoting two years to writing can be a dream come true, but why is it your dream?
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How to Make the Most of Your Time in an MFA
Time well-spent in grad school means “learning to labor in language in such a way that you’ve made yourself worthy of the next labor.”
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How to Keep Hold of 120,000 Words—or, How to Work With a Manuscript in Word
Clever use of the software’s Headings tools can make even the most beastly manuscript easier to wrangle.
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Q&A: Jenny Molberg of Ploughshares
The new editor in chief of Ploughshares discusses her vision for expanding the journal’s digital format and its community.
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