Maureen McLane was born in December, 1967, and she grew up in upstate New York and studied at Oxford University, the University of Chicago, and Harvard. She is a successful poet, critic, and professor at New York University, where she teaches English. In past years, she has taught at MIT, Harvard, and East Harlem Poetry…
Growing up in a world where we’re constantly surrounded by screens, from schoolwork to conversations, poetry has always felt different to me. It’s one of the few things that I feel remains isolated and pure in my mind, asking us to slow down and think, to feel something that isn’t filtered through technology. We text,…
Amy Gerstler is a poet, a writer of fiction, non-fiction, and art criticism. She is currently developing a full-length play with artist and writer Benjamin Weissman. Gerstler has taught writing, literature, and visual art at the University of California, Irvine, California Institute of the Arts, Cal Tech, and other schools in the West. She has…
Through my training and experiences as a volunteer for a nonprofit focused on supporting dancer mental health, I have learned about different types of relationships, communication strategies, and how one’s perspective can warp their reality. My experience as an emotional leader of an organization that was created in response to the abusive relationships that arise…
I have always been very interested in how family and past experiences affect your life. Poetry is such an engaging way to see the world through different artists’ views of life and the world around them. Poetry allows the readers to relate to their experiences, and feel their grief and emotions while connecting it to…
Trees are perhaps one of the most consistent and prevalent things in our everyday lives, yet one of the most overlooked. Not many people notice the types of trees that they pass everyday or the specific trees that are part of significant moments. For poet Hannah Marshall, specific trees are connected in her mind to…
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…
I have always been fascinated by machines: cars, airplanes, trains… Every vehicle feels like it’s connecting the past where we have been with the future where we are going. Maybe that is why I’m drawn to art that deals with history and movement. When I first read Christopher Kemp’s poem “After,” I felt that same…
I have always been interested in poetry that expresses deep emotions and invokes thoughtful interpretations. Even more so, I have always had a passion for teaching and I am interested in the techniques and thoughtful lesson plans that are required to effectively pass down knowledge and inspire students. When I first saw “330 College Avenue”…
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,…