Ten Questions for Courtney Maum
“Listen, it can’t feel magical every day, of course, but writing does have the potential to be an act of joy.” —Courtney Maum, author of Costalegre
Article Archive
Articles from Poet & Writers Magazine include material from the print edition plus exclusive online-only material.
Craft Capsule: Oblique Strategies
The author of the story collection Black Light explores the generative power of “the weird.”
Ten Questions for Helen Phillips
“I have never before written something where the primary challenge was not one of craft or character or structure but rather of emotion.” —Helen Phillips, author of The Need
Full Immersion: A Q&A With Shane Jones
The author of Vincent and Alice and Alice discusses the challenge of plot and character development, the pros and cons of indie publishing, and what new risks he took in his new novel.
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Ten Questions for Peter Orner
“Though this is my sixth book, I take nothing for granted.” —Peter Orner, author of Maggie & Other Stories
Ten Questions for Caite Dolan-Leach
“Let people read your work, and listen to what they say about it.” —Caite Dolan-Leach, author of We Went to the Woods
Poetry Society of America Honors Alice Quinn and Paul Simon
The Poetry Society of America honored its longtime executive director, Alice Quinn, and singer-songwriter Paul Simon at its annual benefit.
Ten Questions for Chanelle Benz
“Don’t be careful; definitely not in the first draft.” —Chanelle Benz, author of The Gone Dead
Joy Harjo Named U.S. Poet Laureate
Joy Harjo has been named the twenty-third Poet Laureate of the United States.
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Ten Questions for Catherine Chung
“I write to try to set myself free, and then find myself snagged on my own limitations.” —Catherine Chung, author of The Tenth Muse
My Life in Books: A Meditation on the Writer’s Library
The author reflects on his growing collection of books and what it shows about his life as a reader and writer.
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First Fiction 2019
Our annual debut fiction roundup features novelists Ruchika Tomar, Chia-Chia Lin, Miciah Bay Gault, De’Shawn Charles Winslow, and Regina Porter.
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Four Lunches and a Breakfast: What I Learned About the Book Business While Breaking Bread With Five Hungry Agents
An in-depth look at book publishing as seen through the eyes of five literary agents.
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Q&A: Alice Quinn Bids Farewell to PSA
Alice Quinn on her eighteen years as the executive director of the Poetry Society of America.
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The Written Image: Make/Shift
Copies of Joe Sacksteder’s story collection, Make/Shift, have been fashioned into a couture dress.
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Literary MagNet: Kendra Allen
The essayist on the journals that published essays from her debut collection, When You Learn the Alphabet.
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The Anthologist: A Compendium of Uncommon Collections
A roundup of four new anthologies, including Shapes of Native Nonfiction: Collected Essays by Contemporary Writers edited by Elissa Washuta and Theresa Warburton.
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Rescuing Lethem’s Legends
Novelist Jonathan Lethem handpicks his favorite forgotten books for reissue in a series published by Pushcart Press.
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Prize for Thrillers Sparks Debate
Writers debate the merits of an award for a fictional thriller that does not feature violence toward women.
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Page One: Where New and Noteworthy Books Begin
The first lines of a dozen noteworthy books, including The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead and Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn.
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New Home for the Backwaters Press
The small press becomes the newest imprint of the University of Nebraska Press.
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Small Press Points: Cooper Dillon Books
The ten-year-old press publishes full-length poetry collections and chapbooks dedicated to the “values that make poetry timeless.”
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Poetry to the People Tour
In collaboration with Narrative 4, the House of SpeakEasy’s bookmobile will travel from New York City to New Orleans and give books to schools, prisons, and libraries along the way.
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Be Bold: A Profile of Ocean Vuong
Following the acclaim of his debut poetry collection, Ocean Vuong found power in imagination and freedom in embellishment and wrote a stunningly original novel: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.
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Let Us Now Praise Unfamous Men
The author uses the 1965 novel Stoner as a catalyst for sharing his own struggles as a writer, father, and husband grappling with his own mortality.