Ten Questions for Marwa Helal
“This book has its own life force. All you have to do is allow it to come together.” —Marwa Helal, author of Ante body
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Article Archive
Articles from Poet & Writers Magazine include material from the print edition plus exclusive online-only material.
Wildness and Containment: A Conversation on Formal Structure and Poetic Surprise
Jay Hopler and Kimberly Johnson discuss their new books, the techniques and craft decisions they used in writing these collections, and the occasion to which both books respond: Hopler’s diagnosis of terminal prostate cancer in 2017.
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Ten Questions for Soon Wiley
“Adjust one small plot point in the second half of the book, and you realize you’ve got to go back to the beginning and account for that change.” —Soon Wiley, author of When We Fell Apart
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Ten Questions for Dana Levin
“I am a fitful writer: long periods of not writing followed by intense engagement.” —Dana Levin, author of Now Do You Know Where You Are
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I Could Not Give Up on My Characters
The author of Country of Origin looks back on the fifteen years she spent working on her debut novel.
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Small Press Points: Mason Jar Press
Two University of Baltimore MFA students founded the small press that publishes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid work, and as well as a podcast and literary magazine.
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Literary MagNet: Hope Wabuke
The author spotlights five journals that published lyric and narrative poems from her debut poetry collection, The Body Family.
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The Written Image: Ben Shattuck
Writer and visual artist Ben Shattuck turned his journals from walks through New England’s wild spaces into a book of drawings and text titled Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau.
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Q&A: A New Editor for the Rumpus
The new editor in chief of the Rumpus, Alysia Li Ying Sawchyn, discusses what sets the magazine apart and what she looks forward to in her new role.
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Prize Offers Access for African Writers
Established in 2018, the Graywolf Press African Fiction Prize awards an African writer an advance and publication by Graywolf. The prize aims to offer African writers a platform without them having to leave the continent.
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Uncommon Contests: Nineteen Literary Awards With Prizes Beyond the Ordinary
A look at contests that, in addition to cash prizes, award residencies, retreats, and introductions to agents, among other unique opportunities.
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1000 Words of Summer: How an Accountability Project Opened Up My Writing Life
For two weeks in June, more than 15,000 writers from around the world commit to writing a thousand words a day as part of the annual 1000 Words of Summer project.
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Agent Advice: The Complete Series
Twenty-six of the industry’s best and brightest agents responded directly to readers’ questions in this column that ran from 2010 to 2022.
Page One: Where New and Noteworthy Books Begin
The first lines of a dozen noteworthy books including The Candy House by Jennifer Egan and Ante body by Marwa Helal.
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From Booksellers to Owners
When the pandemic affected booksellers’ job security, several bookstores transitioned to employee-ownership models to create more equitable workplace environments.
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Agent Advice: Howard Yoon of the Ross Yoon Agency
The agent answers questions about mentioning positive feedback in a query letter, how much plot to include in a query, and agents for teen writers.
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A Workshop With Stakes: Sharing Your Memoir With Your Family
The author chose to share her memoir draft with family and friends and face their varied reactions to her recollection of the past—reactions which ultimately made the book richer.
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Building Solidarity Through Poetry
The Matwaala collective was launched in 2015 to create visibility for South Asian poets. Today, Matwaala programs such as the Poets of Color festival foster solidarity between different identity groups through literature.
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Stories Around the Campfire: A Q&A With Leigh Newman
Leigh Newman discusses her short story collection, Nobody Gets Out Alive, and the wild terrains of parenthood, Alaska, and the emotional lives of her characters.
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Ten Questions for Eloisa Amezcua
“To be a writer, the best thing someone can do, in my opinion, is read. Read everything.” —Eloisa Amezcua, author of Fighting Is Like a Wife
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Conjuring Egypt With Music
The author of Country of Origin listens to old-school Arabic music to help her render the mood of Egypt at the dawn of the postcolonial period.
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Ten Questions for Dara Barrois/Dixon
“I hope everyone who writes begins by recognizing their own value and the value of the very act of their having chosen to write.” —Dara Barrois/Dixon (formerly Dara Wier), author of Tolstoy Killed Anna Karenina
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Portals Into Bygone Times
The author of Country of Origin muses on the transporting power of photographs.
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The Superpower of New Zealand Poetry: A Q&A With Kate Camp
The 2021 guest editor of Ōrongohau: Best New Zealand Poems 2021 discusses the editorial process behind the anthology and what it reveals about contemporary New Zealand poetry.
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Finding and Amplifying New Voices: Affecting Change as an Editor
Sally Kim, senior vice president and publisher of G. P. Putnam’s Sons, on amplifying her own voice to amplify the voices of others.
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