Jeffrey Harrison was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1957. After graduating from Columbia University- during which he worked with various poets including Kenneth Koch and David Shapiro, Harrison went on to teach at many educational institutions like George Washington University and Phillips Academy where he was a Writer-in-Residence. Currently, he resides in Massachusetts with his…
“How will you live with and within yourself under the umbrella of America?” – Adam O. Davis, The Best American Poetry 2021 This question was the spark for the award winning poem, the “Interstate Highway System,” a poem that inspires a deep wanderlust in the reader as well as reflection. The author of this poem,…
One thing that’s been interesting to me for a while is about how we think about and remember the past, such as old memories, family stories, or just short moments that stick in your head for whatever reason. For this reason, Abigail Dembo’s poem “The Travelers” gained my attention in Best American Poetry 2025. The…
I have always been interested in the history of the ancients, from the ancient Greeks and Romans to the political disputes that end in death to the gods– honestly anything about them is exciting to me. It’s another life that is significantly different from modern day life in so many ways. When I was looking…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…