Category Archives: writing

Brianna Pike, National Poetry Month, and Tupelo Press’s 30/30 Project

I love poetry. I love reading it, I love studying it, I love teaching it. I’m not very good at writing it. But that shouldn’t stop me from practicing it. So I’ve been planning for a while to spend April — National Poetry Month — writing a poem a day, just for the exercise ofContinue reading “Brianna Pike, National Poetry Month, and Tupelo Press’s 30/30 Project”

Helping friends affected by the fires and building collapses in NY

Gang, we’re all family here, yeah? Maybe you’re a friend of mine, or maybe you’re a fan of my work, or maybe you just stopped by out of curiosity. But if you’re here, chances are good that you like writing or writers or reading or listening to art. And that makes us family. And ourContinue reading “Helping friends affected by the fires and building collapses in NY”

Hey poets, be good literary citizens. No more excuses.

My friend — and one of my favorite poets, which is why I’m friends with her — Brianna Pike has some deceptively simple but necessary advice for all us writers, especially as we all head off to the literary smorgasbord that is AWP (where I’m looking forward to seeing Bri at her panel discussion!): HeyContinue reading “Hey poets, be good literary citizens. No more excuses.”

“Be the best literary citizen you can be.”

J.C. Sevcik has written a response to “the Insensitive, Shit-Stirring Rant” (his words) by Ryan Boudinot a week and a half ago. Which, you know, big deal — a lot of us wrote responses. But Sevcik’s is interesting because it appears in the same publication, The Stranger, that published Boudinot’s offensive listicle ten days ago (and followedContinue reading ““Be the best literary citizen you can be.””

Brilliant books by brilliant writers

And all these writers are women. I spotted this list of 30 books by women in my Facebook newsfeed — the always-glorious Lidia Yuknavitch shared it — and I loved the first line of the intro: “Let’s be real: You should be reading books, and books by women, every month of the year.” Amen! But yes, it’s Women’s HistoryContinue reading “Brilliant books by brilliant writers”

Your 2015 indie lit shopping list

Last year, I was honored to see Hagridden previewed in The Great 2014 Indie Press Preview, dreamed up and wrangled by the amazing Michael J Seidlinger and published at Electric Lit. (And many thanks to David S. Atkinson for his enthusiasm about my book!) So this year, it seemed only proper that I return the favor and previewContinue reading “Your 2015 indie lit shopping list”

March shrieks in like a Jersey Devil

It’s March. And it’s not roaring in like the lion — hell, here in the Pacific Northwest, it’s been spring for weeks, while back in Jersey, everyone is hibernating under several feet of snow and ice. The climate done changed, and the old axioms just don’t work anymore. But within the pages of Jersey DevilContinue reading “March shrieks in like a Jersey Devil”

Things I Can Say About Ryan Boudinot Now That I’ve Read His Essay

There’s this essay making the rounds on my social media. It’s called “Things I Can Say About MFA Writing Programs Now That I No Longer Teach in One,” by Ryan Boudinot. I’ve been seeing it for days, shared by friends and former professors, writers  whose work I love, teachers whose work I admire. I’ve been avoidingContinue reading “Things I Can Say About Ryan Boudinot Now That I’ve Read His Essay”

Ain’t John Carr Walker’s Late Night Debut pretty?

About a month ago, I joined Late Night Library’s podcast series Late Night Debut, where I sat down for a conversation with author Margaret Malone about my sunnyoutside pressmate John Carr Walker​’s beautiful book, Repairable Men, and then I enjoyed a conversation with John himself. That podcast is now live online! Give it a listenContinue reading “Ain’t John Carr Walker’s Late Night Debut pretty?”