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,…
Michael Collier, born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1953, received his undergraduate degree at Connecticut College and earned his MFA at the University of Arizona. Currently, he lives in Cornwall, Vermont, and is an emeritus professor of English at the University of Maryland. He is the author of eight books of poems, including The Clasp and…
Anthony Madrid was born in 1985 in Bethesda, Maryland and currently lives in Chicago. He graduated as a PhD student from the University of Chicago (in the graduate program in English language and literature), with an MD from Columbia University, an M.F.A. from the University of Arizona, and a BA from Penn State. Some publications…
Sigurd Glad first interviewed A.E. Stallings back in 2017, asking her five questions that were inspired by her poem “The Barnacle.” Having recently read selections from This Afterlife, Ms. Stallings’s 2022 collection of poems, I was happy to have the chance to circle back and reconnect with one of this site’s favorite poets. A. E.…