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…
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,…