The Freedom of Form in Fiction
The author of Patient, Female (Milkweed Editions, 2026) encourages writers to experiment with radically different forms to combat the blank page.
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Article Archive
Articles from Poet & Writers Magazine include material from the print edition plus exclusive online-only material.
Literary MagNet: Aamina Ahmad
The fiction writer Aamina Ahmad highlights journals that have published her short stories, narratives “interested in the way contemporary Pakistani society functions,” and “the pressures it exerts on ordinary people.”
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The Written Image: Library Checkout Cards by Heidi Pitre
An artist transforms library checkout cards into handmade odes to literary works with illustrations in gouache.
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Q&A: World Literature Today at 100
Daniel Simon, the editor in chief of World Literature Today, discusses how literature can promote cross-cultural dialogue and how the journal has evolved ahead of its centennial.
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The Time Is Now: Writing Prompts and Exercises
Write a poem that explores memories of the end of summer, a story that features a character working on a project about a person’s biography, or a travel journal with poetic observations of a singular moment or image in time.
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More Is Less, More or Less: The Novella as a Legit Literary Form
A fiction writer considers how long, or short, any given narrative needs to be, and in the process finds a new appreciation for an often-neglected form: the novella.
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Small Press Points: Slant Books
Founded in 2013 by Greg Wolfe and now based in Seattle, Slant Books takes up Emily Dickinson’s encouragement to her reader: “Tell all the truth but tell it slant.”
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Librarians Aren’t Afraid of AI
Undaunted by the emergent technology, librarians reflect on the need for AI literacy and the undeniably human components of their job.
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A New Home for Translators in San Francisco
The Center for the Art of Translation will move into a new brick-and-mortar, three-story cultural space in 2027, just blocks from the legendary City Lights Booksellers & Publishers.
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Page One: Where New and Noteworthy Books Begin
The first lines of a dozen noteworthy books, including If You Love That Lady by Maya C. Popa and Without Terminus by chaun webster.
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Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison
Spearheaded by Ohio Humanities and Literary Cleveland, a yearlong commemoration of Toni Morrison’s oeuvre is underway, featuring statewide, national, and virtual events.
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First Fiction 2026
Eden Royce, R. O. Kwon, Aimee Bender, Susan Muaddi Darraj, and Jamel Brinkley introduce the authors of this summer’s best debut fiction: P.C. Verrone, M Lin, Joe Bond, Amanda Rizkalla, and Devyn Defoe.
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To Grieve, to Mourn, to Sing, to Feel: A Profile of Phillip B. Williams
In Lift Every Voice, Phillip B. Williams explores the devastating effects of avoiding grief, and sitting with that feeling, more than two decades after his father’s death, is what allowed him to finally mourn and eventually make his art.
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Attuned to the Multitudes: The Role of Time and Place in the Literary Imagination
Calling on June Jordan and E. L. Doctorow, Emily Dickinson and Tupac Shakur, an acclaimed poet and nonfiction writer parses how the past is ever-present, and how our setting becomes our writing.
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Can I Have Your Number? A Writer’s Guide to the ISBN
A bookstore manager discusses the practicalities of the ISBN, the key identifier that acts as a book’s passport as it travels from publisher to bookshops to the hands of readers.
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Where Should We Begin? How to Start Your Agent Search
Wondering where to look and what to look for as you research agents? An industry veteran offers guidance on best resources and best practices for finding possible fits.
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Assembling a Temporary Home: How to Build a Microcommunity at Your Next Writers Conference
A frequent conference-goer offers tips and best practices for connecting with a microcommunity—a small, intentional gathering of peers within the larger world of a writing conference.
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The Agent as Editor: Making the Most of a Key Collaboration
Between signing with an agent and bringing a book to editors, writers almost always take one more crucial step: receiving edits from their agent. Agents describe what authors can expect by way of notes at this stage and how these revision prepares a book for market.
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The Good-Enough Agent: Finding the Perfectly Imperfect Partner
Writers may dream of partnering with a literary agent who offers it all, from staunch advocacy from a sympathetic ear. But in practice, the best agent may be one who’s less fairy tale and more human.
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You Can’t Query Love: How and When to Stick With Agent Querying
Persistence is a virtue in landing an agent—but if you’re not connecting, when is it time to regroup? An agent offers professional wisdom on balancing tenacity and realism, and on assessing what to do next if your search has stalled.
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Tell Me What I Want to Hear: Query Letter Essentials
An agent unpacks the intangibles a query letter needs to convey, including your own sense of your story, your professionalism, and your voice.
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Ten Questions for Kate Christensen
“Writing is like any other bodily function for me—necessary, rhythmic, and almost involuntary.” —Kate Christensen, author of Good Company
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Tragedy Plus Time: Finding Humor in Unlikely Places
The author of Patient, Female (Milkweed Editions, 2026) reflects on how painful experiences can carry comedic potential for writing.
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Ten Questions for Deb Olin Unferth
“There was a time when I would have called my nonwriting life an impediment, but these days I see it more like I need to be a whole person.” —Deb Olin Unferth, author of Earth 7
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