Threads, Thrumming: A Profile of Kevin Wilson
In his fifth novel, Run for the Hills, Kevin Wilson returns to a theme that flows through much of his work: the threads that connect us to other people, even if we’ve never met them before.
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Article Archive
Articles from Poet & Writers Magazine include material from the print edition plus exclusive online-only material.
Hopeless Hope: A Conversation With Madeleine Thien
In The Book of Records, Madeleine Thien takes on political, historical, and philosophical issues in the wake of catastrophe while offering a portrait of a life that holds hope amid seemingly hopeless circumstances.
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Agents & Editors: Nicole Aragi
Superstar literary agent Nicole Aragi talks about what stands out to her in a query, the importance of finding the right agent, and the art of following your nose.
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An AI Licensing Platform Takes Off
In response to the unauthorized use of books to train large language models, the developers of Created by Humans propose a solution: negotiation between authors and AI companies to help writers control how their work is used.
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Double Dreaming, Double Imagining: A Profile of Douglas Kearney
In the poetry collection I Imagine I Been Science Fiction Always, Douglas Kearney shatters traditional expectations by transforming images and texts into dynamic conversations about Black identity, personhood, and art.
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Small Press Points: Conduit Books & Ephemera
Publishing two poetry books a year, Conduit Books shares the quirky aesthetic of its journal counterpart, Conduit. The press seeks work that is innovative, honest, and sincere, bringing people to poetry and rumination.
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Agents & Editors: The Complete Series
This series of interviews with over forty book editors, publishers, and agents offers a unique look at the past, present, and future of the book industry and what writers can do to thrive in today’s publishing world.
The Sad Tale of the Soft Sale: How Book Returns Work and Why You Should Care
The publishing industry is unique in letting retailers return unsold stock—a practice with enormous costs for indie presses. The editor of Orison Books breaks down the logistics of fulfillment and suggests ways to reimagine book returns.
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On Discomfort: The Creative Gift of Being Out of Your Depth
A novelist describes her exposure to a multitude of scientific disciplines as the writer-in-residence at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and shares how exploring something completely new has lent fresh energy to her work.
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The Ungrateful Stranger: Whose Story Deserves Welcome?
An immigrant novelist reflects on the opportunities extended to her by the American publishing industry—and challenges the notion that she should be grateful to be given any kind of welcome.
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The Time Is Now: Writing Prompts and Exercises
Write a poem that uses the language of flowers to share a secret, a scene where a young person expresses their thoughts about a parental figure, or an essay based on the logic of your own dreams.
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Q&A: Jennifer Acker’s Place at the Common
As the Common celebrates its fifteenth anniversary, founder and editor in chief Jennifer Acker delves into the thinking behind creating a literary organization and magazine devoted to place.
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The Written Image: The Unsent Letter Mailbox
Inspired by the possibility of providing complete strangers an opportunity for creativity and catharsis, the Unsent Letter Mailbox started as an interactive urban art project and has now grown into a salon reading series.
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Literary MagNet: Steven Espada Dawson
The author of Late to the Search Party highlights magazines that have offered his lithe, intimate poems a home, including Waxwing and Split Lip Magazine.
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Ten Questions for Julia Elliott
“The short story form offers me a way to indulge my obsessions and experiment with various genres and narrative modes.” —Julia Elliott, author of Hellions
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On Trauma and Taking Good Care
Author Jehanne Dubrow recommends rituals to help protect yourself when writing about trauma.
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Ten Questions for Keetje Kuipers
“I’m a firm believer these days in discomfort on the page, whether it’s sonic, tonal, metaphorical, or imagistic.” —Keetje Kuipers, author of Lonely Women Make Good Lovers
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On Trauma and Knowing When You’re Ready to Write
Jehanne Dubrow offers advice to writers wondering whether they are ready to process traumatic experience on the page.
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A Writer’s Home, a Writer’s Voice: Finding Inspiration in Literary Pilgrimages
Wherever you are on your personal journey as a writer, a stop at the home of a literary hero can be a revelation, inspiring and invigorating your writing in ways you might not expect.
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Ten Questions for Arthur Sze
“Write one poem at a time and resist knowing where you are going.” —Arthur Sze, author of Into the Hush
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Next-Level Diversity: Beyond Faces and Names
The author of Spring, Summer, Asteroid, Bird (Norton, 2025) encourages writers to consider a deeper definition of diversity and embrace alternative storytelling styles and structures.
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Ten Questions for Rachel Trousdale
“I was playing, trying to make something I liked, something no one else had already made for me.” —Rachel Trousdale, author of Five-Paragraph Essay on the Body-Mind Problem
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Ten Questions for Dennis E. Staples
“Editing down is something I dread in the abstract because I know I can lose motivation easily. But this book has ingrained the lesson in me fully.” —Dennis E. Staples, author of Passing Through a Prairie Country
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Not All Stories Are Straight: Circular and Nested Structures From Asian Storytelling
The author of Spring, Summer, Asteroid, Bird (Norton, 2025) recommends writers embrace circuitous storytelling structures, typical of nonwestern literature.
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Ten Questions for Mariam Rahmani
“The magic happens in the writing, on the page. That’s the high.” —Mariam Rahmani, author of Liquid: A Love Story
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