Ryo Yamaguchi lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he works as the publisher of Copper Canyon Press, an independent, poetry-focused press established over fifty years ago. He has worked in publishing for more than a decade, including roles at Wave Press and the University of Chicago Press. Ryo is the author of The Refusal…
American Culture and Poetry in the Internet Age
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“Has a Chicken Never Chowed Down on a Fox?”: Eight Questions for Andrea Cohen
Born in 1961, Andrea Cohen grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, where she developed a love for poetry at a young age, stemming from her frequent walks with her dog through the woods where she would compose songs in her head. Currently, she teaches at Boston University and directs the Blacksmith House Poetry Series in Cambridge,…
“Ode to Everything”: Six Questions for Major Jackson
I have always been drawn to the moments where doing something normal feels electric. Taking a test and knowing you are going to do really well, standing in the rain at night, laying down and listening to music, just to name a few. In those moments I sense that poetry isn’t just something made in…
Completely Subjective: Jeffery Harrison’s “Amnesia”
Jeffery Harrison’s poem “Amnesia,” describes a scene that most people reading the poem can easily immerse themselves in. A moment of remembering something, but it being on the tip of your tongue— a memory you can almost reach, yet one that becomes murky once specific details are required. Harrison was born in Cincinnati in 1957…
Completely Subjective: Anne Carson’s “A Fragment of Ibykos Translated Six Ways”
“[T]his is the magic of fragments—the way that poem breaks off leads into a thought that can’t ever be apprehended. There is the space where a thought would be, but which you can’t get hold of. I love that space. It’s the reason I like to deal with fragments. Because no matter what the thought…
“What is Sexy”: Eight Questions for Laura Cronk
Sometimes I think about how hard it is to really pay attention. Most days, I’m scrolling, multitasking, or half-listening. But poetry, at least the kind that makes you stop and breathe, demands something slower. That’s what drew me to Laura Cronk’s work, which finds beauty in the unnoticed. The light shining on an iron fence,…
“The Forbidden Fruit of Finally Feeling the Happiness You Were Afraid You Didn’t Deserve-”: Eight Questions for Michael Lally
I’ve always been fascinated with the little things people say when they think nobody is listening. The things people say under their breath and the silent thoughts someone is obviously having when spaced out mid-conversation. Those moments, the ones that feel raw and real, not polished and tied up in a bow. I like hearing…
“To Our Indolent Cancer”: Eight Questions for Greg Delanty
Throughout my life, I’ve never been fond of poetry. My schooling experience gave me a negative perspective of poetry, school would make poetry seem like a form of punishment. Instead of allowing us to freely read poetry and books, they would always tie complex poems relating to the poem or book and make us interpret…
“The People’s History of 1998”: Eight Questions for Gbenga Adesina
Gbenga Adesina is a Nigerian poet who resides in Brooklyn, NY. Adesina’s childhood in Nigeria and his current residence in Brooklyn have inspired several poem collections, including his new and most popular, “Death Does Not End at Sea,” for which he was nominated and long listed for the 2025 National Book Award for Poetry. His…
“Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”: Seven Questions for Adrienne Su
When I was a little girl, I always thought of poetry as a fantasy style of writing that always rhymed, and was most commonly found through the dialogue of picture books read to me at bedtime. As I grew older, I realized it was definitely the opposite of what I had thought. Although elementary school…
“Black and Brown People on Shark Tank”: Eight Questions for Angbeen Saleem
As one of the few Pakistani Muslims in my community, I often find myself looking for connections to my culture in the world around me. Whether it’s new places I see passing by during a long drive, a television show I happened to stumble upon, or just in casual conversation, I search for small reflections…