Writers Recommend: Music and Movies
Culled from our Writers Recommend series, the music and movies that inspire authors to keep writing, with recommendations from Sandra Beasley, Chloe Caldwell, Scott Cheshire, Joshua Henkin, and others.
Article Archive: Online Exclusive
Articles from Poet & Writers Magazine include material from the print edition plus exclusive online-only material.
The Amazon Conflict
On its surface, the ongoing dispute between Hachette Book Group and Amazon is about the price of e-books, but as more authors and traditional publishers square off against the giant online retailer, which has plenty of defenders of its own, many in the industry are starting to believe the battle is about something much more fundamental—it’s about the future of literature itself.
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After the MFA: Fantasy, Reality, and Lessons Learned
A writer compares what she thought would happen after receiving her MFA with what actually happened, and offers a few practical lessons to writers who may be considering, or who have recently completed, a graduate writing program.
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A Writer’s Comeback: How I Built My Own Literary Scene and Saved Myself
Founder of the Sackett Street Writers' Workshop in Brooklyn, New York, Julia Fierro discusses how creating her own workshop program—and in doing so, building her own community of writers—allowed her to rediscover her own voice.
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2014 First Fiction Sampler
Read exclusive excerpts from the novels and story collections of debut fiction writers Courtney Maum, Scott Cheshire, Celeste Ng, Yelena Akhtiorskaya, and Mira Jacob.
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A New Prize for Self-Published Authors
The Guardian’s literary editor discusses the newspaper’s new monthly prize for self-published books by writers based in the U.K.
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Notable Moments in Self-Publishing History: A Timeline
Writers have been self-publishing since the beginning of written words. Celebrating those creative individuals determined to be heard, we present a timeline of notable moments in self-publishing history.
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2014 MFA Index: Further Reading
A comprehensive article about how we compiled the 2014 MFA Index of full- and low-residency programs, featured in the September/October 2013 issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.
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2013 First Fiction Sampler
Read exclusive excerpts from the novels and story collections of debut fiction writers NoViolet Bulawayo, Bushra Rehman, Bill Cheng, Anton DiSclafani, and Chinelo Okparanta.
Eight Inspired Readings
Authors who know how to give an inspired reading, on stage or at the front of the room, in front of an audience, can make connections that are just as moving, inspiring, and unforgettable as those established on the page.
Six Video Poems
The video poem may be ushering a whole new demographic to poetry. Here are six that have been made available to a wide audience on YouTube.
Readers Recommend
Looking for a good book to read? Take a look at the list of titles our readers say were the best they read in 2011.
Twenty-Five Literary Magazine Twitter Feeds to Follow
These twenty-five feeds from literary magazines offer frequent updates about the writing they’re publishing, the events they’re hosting, and the news they find interesting.
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Twenty-Seven Small Press Twitter Feeds to Follow
Not every great small press is active on Twitter, but here are twenty-seven that engage book culture via social media in interesting, informative, and entertaining ways.
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2013 MFA Index: Further Reading
A comprehensive article about how we compiled the 2013 MFA Index of full- and low-residency programs, featured in the September/October 2012 issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.
Catalogue of Curiosities
Immerse yourself in the music, films, art, and other points of inspiration that set off the spark for our twelve debut poets of 2011.
Bodwell’s Baker’s Dozen
In the spirit of year-end best-of reading lists, we offer Joshua Bodwell’s Baker’s Dozen 2011 as a companion to his article “You Are What You Read: The Art of Inspired Reading Lists,” which appears in the January/February 2012 issue's special section on inspiration.
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First Fiction Sampler
Check out these exclusive excerpts from the debut novels and story collections featured in our eleventh annual roundup of the summer’s best debut fiction.
Thirty-Three Twitter Feeds to Follow
There is a seemingly endless number of feeds and folks to follow on Twitter, but if you're interested in engaging, entertaining tweets that will keep you updated on all things literary, begin with these.
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Musicians Steve Earle and Josh Ritter Release Debut Novels
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Dial Press recently released the debut novels of crossover artists Steve Earle and Josh Ritter, musicians who, despite busy tour schedules, managed to carve out time to put their passions into print as well as into songs.
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Hurricane Katrina, Five Years Later
A selection of essays that commemorate what was lost and celebrate the literary arts in New Orleans.
Our Readers' List of the Most Inspiring Authors in the World
After we sharerd our list of the fifty most inspiring authors in the world, we asked our readers to add their favorites. Culled from the responses on pw.org and our Facebook page, here are the results.
A Summer Reading List
In anticipation of our "Summer Reading Issue," we asked which books you, as writers who read deeply year-round, turn to in the warm months ahead. Culled from readers' responses on pw.org and our Facebook page, here are the results.
Poetry Challenge
Need a dose of inspiration for your writing routine this April? Take our Poetry Challenge and try out a new writing prompt or poetry-related assignment every day during National Poetry Month.