The Legacy of June Jordan
An excerpt from The Essential June Jordan, edited by Jan Heller Levi and Christoph Keller and published in May by Copper Canyon Press.
Article Archive: Online Exclusive
Articles from Poet & Writers Magazine include material from the print edition plus exclusive online-only material.
Andy Weir and the Digital Revolution in Publishing
An excerpt from Book Wars: The Digital Revolution in Publishing, published in May by Polity.
Resources for Writers in Support of the AAPI Community
Resources and ideas for volunteering, donating, reading, writing, and taking action to support the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.
Tags:
On Teaching While Black in the Time of COVID and Emboldened Racism
What is the role of a teacher during a pandemic? What is the role of a Black woman teaching in a red state during the Trump presidency? A poet, essayist, and professor considers the unpaid labor of women and faculty of color.
The Workshop Should Be a Model of Diversity—It’s Not
The novelist and author of Craft in the Real World traces the historical origins of the creative writing workshop and its tradition of silencing writers of color.
Agents & Editors: Sarah McGrath
The editor in chief of Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, talks about her start in publishing, acquiring books, editing as a creative process, and more.
Ten Author Readings to Mark the End of 2020
Ten author readings that reflect the beauty, hope, resilience, and strength of writers to confront the failures of the past and to rejoice in the promise of what lies ahead.
Tags:
Former Poets House Workers and Board Dispute Reasons for Suspension
A look inside the dispute between the former workers and board of Poets House over why the poetry nonprofit and library temporarily closed and laid off staff in November.
Poets House Suspends Operations
Poets House, a beloved New York City public poetry library, announced yesterday that it will suspend operations, effective immediately, due to financial issues brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Year of the Villain: Discovering the Engine of Story Through Your Antagonist
Valuable lessons about characterization, the fundamental core of storytelling, can be found in the panels of superhero comics.
Tags:
Balkan Spring: Report From Literary Sofia, Bulgaria
In a continuing series on international writing communities, contributing editor Stephen Morison Jr. spends time with writers in the capital city of Bulgaria.
Tags:
Unstoppable: The Writer’s Pursuit of Purpose
The author of Fifty Words for Rain reflects on learning to forge her own unique path through the world.
Tags:
Resources for Writers in the Time of Coronavirus
A growing list of grants and emergency funds for writers as well as resources for booksellers, tools for working from home, and more.
Tags:
Five Cinematic Author Events
For an alternative movie night, view these extended readings and conversations with literary luminaries Zadie Smith, Édouard Louis, Min Jin Lee, Ocean Vuong, and Joy Harjo.
Tags:
Five Hot Summer Fiction Readings
Leah Hampton’s F*ckface: And Other Stories, Megha Majumdar’s A Burning, Marie-Helene Bertino’s Parakeet, Karen Tei Yamashita’s Sansei and Sensibility, and C Pam Zhang’s How Much of These Hills Is Gold.
Sideways Ghost Stories: A Q&A With Laura van den Berg
The author of the story collection I Hold a Wolf by the Ears talks about ghost stories, writing in the direction of the unknowable, and creativity during quarantine.
Tags:
Zen and the Art of Quicksand: My Twenty-Three-Year Descent Into Literary Failure, Rejection, and Redemption
A novelist recalls the challenges and rewards of publishing a second novel—twenty-seven years after his debut.
Tags:
Cancellations and Postponements: Retreats and Contests Affected by the Crisis
A growing list of conferences, festivals, and writing contests that have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Tags:
The New and Enduring Secrets of Writing Past Dark: A Q&A With Bonnie Friedman
The author of Writing Past Dark: Envy, Fear, Distractions, and Other Dilemmas in the Writer’s Life talks about the impetus for writing the book, response after its publication, and its lessons for a new generation of writers.
Tags:
A Letter From a Black Woman in Publishing on the Industry’s Cruel, Hypocritical Insistence That Words Matter
A message to self-proclaimed allies: Actions speak louder than words.
Tags:
Resources for Writers in Support of Justice and Action
Resources and ideas for fighting racial injustice and police violence, both on and off the page.
Tags:
Q&A: Meera Dasgupta Named National Youth Poet Laureate
The 2020 National Youth Poet Laureate talks about the intersection of poetry and activism, creativity during the pandemic, and more.
Tags:
Between Worlds: A Q&A With Poet Kiki Petrosino
The author of White Blood: A Lyric of Virginia discusses definitions of poetry, ancestral silence, and unpacking American history’s “white blood.”
Tags:
The Campaign to Save Lambda Literary
Lambda Literary, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting LGBTQ literature and writers, has launched a fund-raiser to help it stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tags:
Literary Journals Associated With MFA Programs
If, as part of your graduate experience, you’re interested in contributing your time or writing to a school-sponsored journal, check out this listing of institutions whose MFA programs produce literary magazines.
Tags: