Sometimes a Fish, Sometimes a Story
In a season of disappointment while trying to conceive, the author of How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder reconnects with creativity at the Summer Fishtrap Gathering of Writers.
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Send Me a Sign
At Ragdale, the author of The Great Believers receives portents that shape her books and strengthen her resolve.
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Residing in Possibility
Amid political turmoil and momentous life changes, a retreat at the Blue Mountain Center gives the author of The Archer inspiring ideas about how to be an artist—even without writing any new pages.
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Writing a Dream Into Reality
A fortuitous residency at Jentel gives the author of Incantation: Love Poems for Battle Sites a chance to dream big and forge the first hundred pages of a new collection in just two weeks.
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Runaway
In the aftermath of his father’s death, an encounter with a literary hero at the Disquiet International Literary Program gives the author of Wyoming what he needs to write again: gratitude.
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Close Encounters
Foxes, llamas, and one portentous bobcat remind the author of Ninetails: Nine Tales that the artistic process can’t be planned or tamed—and that perhaps its wildness is one of the reasons we write.
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Inspiration From Across the Literary Landscape
Five acclaimed writers traverse the literary landscape, gleaning lessons from diverse genres of writing and bringing them back to bear on any work.
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Inspiration, Imagined
Since 2010 we have asked graphic designers and artists to create new, surprising, and uniquely inspiring covers for the first issue of the year; in this portfolio we look back at their work.
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Dare to Defamiliarize: In Praise of Fluidity
The acclaimed fiction writer, essayist, comic book writer, and screenwriter cautions against growing too rigid in your practice and suggests kicking down some doors and using writing as a multi-tool.
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Ten Writers on Writing Advice: 2025
Ten authors answer the tenth question in our Ten Questions series: What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?
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