The Flame Alphabet by Ben Marcus
Ben Marcus reads from his third novel, The Flame Alphabet, forthcoming from Knopf in January 2012.
Multimedia
Watch videos; listen to audio clips, including readings by authors featured in Page One: Where New and Noteworthy Books Begin; and view slideshows related to articles and features published in Poets & Writers Magazine.
The Bard Behind the Bar
Join contributor Robert Hershon for a pint at McSorley's Old Ale House, where poet and head bartender Geoffrey Bartholomew has sold more than five thousand copies of his self-published collection, The McSorley's Poems, without the aid of a...
Ampersands in the World
The ampersand has survived from ancient origins to the present day, where its usage is ubiquitous, and stylistically varied. In this slideshow, we train our lenses on the logogram's incarnations in everyday life. You can help add to our exhibit by...
Sabina Murray on Tales of the New World
Author Sabina Murray discusses her second story collection, Tales of the New World, inspired by the explorers and settlers of history and legend who shaped our modern world. The PEN/Faulkner Award winner's book is forthcoming from Black Cat...
"The Sirens" by Tomaž Šalamun
Slovenian poet Tomaž Šalamun reads "The Sirens" from his eleventh poetry collection in English, The Blue Tower, released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in October.
Joan Didion’s Blue Nights
Kimberly Farr reads an excerpt from the memoir Blue Nights (Knopf, 2011) in which Joan Didion writes with stunning frankness about the death of her daughter, Quintana Roo, as well as her own mortality.
"Evoking the Dawn" by Nate Pritts
Nate Pritts reads "Evoking the Dawn" from his fifth poetry collection, Sweet Nothing, published by Minnesota indie outfit Lowbrow Press in October.
The Corner Library
Poets & Writers Magazine takes a look inside the Corner Library, a tiny book depository serving the community in Brooklyn, New York's Williamsburg neighborhood.
Moby-Dick in Pictures by Matt Kish
In the graphic adaptation Moby-Dick in Pictures, released by Tin House Books in October, artist Matt Kish presents an illustration for every page of the 552-page classic. These eleven images are from Chapter XXXII: Cetology, in which Herman...
Floating Worlds: The Letters of Edward Gorey and Peter F. Neumeyer
During their collaboration on three books in the late sixties, artist and author Edward Gorey exchanged a wealth of missives with writer Peter F. Neumeyer. The letters and accompanying ephemera showcased in the book Floating Worlds: The Letters...
Portraits From MFA Nation
On a hot, sunny day in early July, more than two dozen MFA students and graduates answered our open call to gather in New York City's Central Park for the photo shoot that resulted in the cover of our September/October 2011 issue. After the shoot,...
"Pretty Convincing" by Tim Dlugos
New York City poet Tim Dlugos published four chapbooks and one full-length collection before his death from AIDS in 1990. A new volume, A Fast Life: The Collected Works of Tim Dlugos, is being released by Nightboat Books this month. In this...
Steve Earle's "The Gulf of Mexico"
In May Houghton Mifflin Harcourt published Steve Earle’s first novel, I’ll Never Get Out of Here Alive. Around the same time New West Records released his album of the same title, a much-anticipated follow-up to the 2009 Grammy Award-...
Josh Ritter's "The Curse"
This month Dial Press will publish Josh Ritter's debut novel, Bright’s Passage, and introduce readers to what listeners of Ritter’s songs have been enjoying for some time. As Poets & Writers contributor Benjamin Percy writes, "...
Behind the Scenes at a Poets & Writers Cover Shoot
Go behind the scenes at the photo shoot with the literary agents featured on the cover of our July/August issue to see how much time and energy goes into capturing the images published in Poets & Writers Magazine. Join the photographer...
Writing Contest Advice
Watch Stephanie G'Schwind, Camille Rankine, Michael Collier, and Beth Harrison offer their advice for poets and writers interested in submitting their work to writing contests. G'Schwind, director of the Center for Literary Publishing; Collier,...
It & Co. by Tracy K. Smith
Tracy K. Smith reads "It & Co." from her third poetry collection, Life on Mars, published by Graywolf Press in May.
Book Paintings by Mike Stilkey
For the past several years, artist Mike Stilkey has repurposed old books as a medium for his portraits of people and animals. Here are a dozen of his works, some of which will be on display in the exhibition Face to Face: The Changing Face of...
The Future of Family-Friendly Residencies
Watch contributor Thomas Israel Hopkins—along with this wife, novelist Emily Barton, and their son, Tobias—discuss the impetus for writing "The Future of Family-Friendly Residencies." In the article, which appears in the March/April 2011 issue of...
Behind the Design of This Issue's Inspiring Cover
Watch editor Kevin Larimer's interview with illustrator Jim Tierney, who reveals his initial sketches and revisions of this issue's cover.
Jefferson Rabb's Artful Author Websites
Jefferson Rabb, one of the
most highly sought after web designers in the publishing world, recently sat
down with contributor Joshua Bodwell to discuss his craft and the evolving
world of book-related websites.
DIY: How to Coptic Bind a Chapbook
As a companion to Indie Innovators, a special section on groundbreaking presses and magazines, we demonstrate how to Coptic bind a chapbook. View the accompanying slideshow for information on formatting your book in Microsoft Word. (Note:...
Behind the Scenes at a Poets & Writers Photo Shoot
Take a look behind the scenes at the photo shoot with poet and fiction writer Heather Sellers, who is profiled in the November/December 2010 issue on the occasion of her new memoir, You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know (Riverhead Books). Join...
DIY: How to Make a Pocket-Size Book
As a companion to Indie Innovators, a special section on groundbreaking
presses and magazines, the following slideshow offers instructions on formatting your book in Microsoft Word. Don't miss our video demonstration of how to make a pocket-size...
DIY: How to Coptic Bind a Chapbook
A companion to Indie Innovators, a special section on groundbreaking presses and magazines. Don't miss our video demonstration of how to Coptic bind a chapbook.