Telling the Truth Slant: The Circuitous Course
The author of Mock Heart: New & Selected Poems (Knopf, 2026) encourages poets to let truth surprise them in the writing process.
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Craft Capsules
In our weekly series of craft essays, some of the best and brightest minds in contemporary literature explore their craft in compact form, articulating their thoughts about creative obsessions and curiosities in a working notebook of lessons about the art of writing.
Star Map: Notes for Dance
The author of The Man in 119 (Copper Canyon Press, 2026) invites poets to embark on an experimental dance and embodied writing exercise.
Dickinson: The Game
The author of The Man in 119 (Copper Canyon Press, 2026) creates a generative writing board game inspired by Emily Dickinson.
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Replenishments: Sappho and Shakespeare
The author of The Man in 119 (Copper Canyon Press, 2026) reflects on erasure and encouragers writers to experiment with the form.
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Trust Your Stuff
The author of Hidden River (Tortoise Books, 2026) encourages writers to say what they need to say, regardless of industry trends.
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Running the Distance
The author of Hidden River (Tortoise Books, 2026) encourages authors to find pastimes to supplement the writing life.
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Cheat Sheet
The author of Hidden River (Tortoise Books, 2026) encourages writers to pursue multiple projects simultaneously.
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On Juxtaposition
The author of Did You Find Everything You Were Looking For? (Norton, 2026) considers the value of combining incongruous images in poetry.
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On Notebooks
The author of Did You Find Everything You Were Looking For? (Norton, 2026) encourages poets to practice daily observation in writing.
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The Freedom of Form in Fiction
The author of Patient, Female (Milkweed Editions, 2026) encourages writers to experiment with radically different forms to combat the blank page.
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Tragedy Plus Time: Finding Humor in Unlikely Places
The author of Patient, Female (Milkweed Editions, 2026) reflects on how painful experiences can carry comedic potential for writing.
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Humor Writing Is No Joke
The author of Patient, Female (Milkweed Editions, 2026) encourages writers to experiment with perspective to find humor.
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Ekphrasis: Harnessing the Power of Visual Art
The author of Discipline (Random House, 2026) considers the propulsive effect describing art can have on fiction.
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Thought, Speech: Dialogue Without Quotation Marks
The author of Discipline (Random House, 2026) reflects on the value of blending interior and exterior language with less punctuation.
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Overheard: Writing Third Person Through First Person
The author of Discipline (Random House, 2026) reflects on fusing points of view in fiction.
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The Tiny Window and the Great Novel
The author of Unstuck: A Writer’s Guide (Tin House, April 2026) offers insight on how to make time for writing when it feels like there’s no time to spare.
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Always Beginning, Always Continuing: On Non-Expertise
The author of Unstuck: A Writer’s Guide (Tin House, April 2026) encourages writers to embrace being an amateur in all corners of their lives.
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You Are Your Most Important Reader: On Trust, Listening, and Pleasure in Writing
The author of Unstuck: A Writer’s Guide (Tin House, April 2026) encourages writers to write without an outside reader in mind.
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How to Write Ethically About Those You Love, and Don’t Love Anymore
The author of Pulse (Omnidawn, 2026) offers insight on how to approach writing sensitively about one’s most intimate relationships.
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Ethical Rage: How Metaphor Transforms Anger Into a Higher Truth
The author of Pulse (Omnidawn, 2026) considers how metaphor can help metabolize anger.
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Lie Well: How to Fib Ethically in Your Poems
The author of Pulse (Omnidawn, 2026) considers how one can morally bend the truth in poetry.
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Interrogating Every Line
The author of Clutch (Tin House, February 2026) describes the rigorous line work that went into finishing her manuscript.
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Manipulating the Shape of a Story
The author of Clutch (Tin House, February 2026) reflects on adjusting rising and falling action across time in fiction.
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The Accordion Method of Time Management, or Thoughts on Scene
The author of Clutch (Tin House, February 2026) reflects on poetic time, dialogue, and writing effective scenes.
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On Multimodality, Form, and Reverent Innovation
The author of Cord Swell (Norton, 2025) considers the power of leveraging different media in poetry.
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