Poets & Writers
@pw.org
Official account of Poets & Writers, the primary source of information, support, and guidance for creative writers since 1970. Sign up for our newsletter: at.pw.org/newsletter
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Poets & Writers
@pw.org
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Announcing our Nov/Dec issue! 🎉 Inside you’ll find a profile of poet Donika Kelly, author of The Natural Order of Things; our tenth annual 5 Over 50 debut author feature; a craft essay in appreciation of the longer short story; and the case for collective resistance to AI. More: at.pw.org/NovDec2025
Ready to start your publishing journey? Talk to agents and editors directly in our workshop Mapping the Maze. You'll leave this workshop with the confidence to chart your path to publication. Learn more and register—only a few spots remain: at.pw.org/pomaze25
Mapping the Maze for Poets: Chart Your Path to Publication — Poets & Writers
Trying to get your work published can feel like wandering in a maze. If you're running into one dead end after another, not sure which way to turn, this workshop can demystify the process and help…
at.pw.org
November 13, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Ready to start your publishing journey? Talk to agents and editors directly in our workshop Mapping the Maze. You'll leave this workshop with the confidence to chart your path to publication. Learn more and register—only a few spots remain: at.pw.org/pomaze25
“When I’m reviewing a query letter, I tend to weigh the significance of lit mag publications depending on the genre of your manuscript.” In our final issue of the year, agent Natalie Edwards offers nuanced advice to writers on approaching literary magazine publication. at.pw.org/AgentOnLitMags
November 13, 2025 at 1:01 PM
“When I’m reviewing a query letter, I tend to weigh the significance of lit mag publications depending on the genre of your manuscript.” In our final issue of the year, agent Natalie Edwards offers nuanced advice to writers on approaching literary magazine publication. at.pw.org/AgentOnLitMags
#ClipOfTheDay: In this PBS NewsHour interview, director Raoul Peck speaks about his new documentary, Orwell: 2+2=5, which examines the writings of George Orwell to propose how prophetic his novels and work have become. at.pw.org/OrwellDoc
November 13, 2025 at 1:00 AM
#ClipOfTheDay: In this PBS NewsHour interview, director Raoul Peck speaks about his new documentary, Orwell: 2+2=5, which examines the writings of George Orwell to propose how prophetic his novels and work have become. at.pw.org/OrwellDoc
“Sometimes, when I’m stuck, I’ll pull books from the shelves and luxuriate in other people’s first sentences. It’s like taking a bite of every chocolate in the box, or wandering through a high-end hat store…” writes @delaneynolan.bsky.social, author of Happy Bad (Astra House). at.pw.org/WRNolan
November 12, 2025 at 6:02 PM
“Sometimes, when I’m stuck, I’ll pull books from the shelves and luxuriate in other people’s first sentences. It’s like taking a bite of every chocolate in the box, or wandering through a high-end hat store…” writes @delaneynolan.bsky.social, author of Happy Bad (Astra House). at.pw.org/WRNolan
“I love the sounds down there. The variations inside that accent are really beautiful. And the things that people say? The figurative language? It’s so rich.” @donikakelly.bsky.social discusses the influence of Southern speech on her third and latest poetry collection. Read on: at.pw.org/DonikaKelly
November 12, 2025 at 1:15 PM
“I love the sounds down there. The variations inside that accent are really beautiful. And the things that people say? The figurative language? It’s so rich.” @donikakelly.bsky.social discusses the influence of Southern speech on her third and latest poetry collection. Read on: at.pw.org/DonikaKelly
“I’ve learned to be most interested in enjoying the process of making something emotionally true and honest.” In this week's #TenQuestions, @eshanisurya.bsky.social provides an inside look at the writing process for her debut novel, Ravishing, out now from Roxane Gay Books. More: at.pw.org/eshani
November 11, 2025 at 4:15 PM
“I’ve learned to be most interested in enjoying the process of making something emotionally true and honest.” In this week's #TenQuestions, @eshanisurya.bsky.social provides an inside look at the writing process for her debut novel, Ravishing, out now from Roxane Gay Books. More: at.pw.org/eshani
In our latest issue, author Nancy Reddy recommends fresh, interdisciplinary strategies for organizing book events that give audience members a chance to connect with one another, opening up conversation and elevating the delivery and purpose of an author reading. at.pw.org/CollectiveEffervescence
November 11, 2025 at 3:26 PM
In our latest issue, author Nancy Reddy recommends fresh, interdisciplinary strategies for organizing book events that give audience members a chance to connect with one another, opening up conversation and elevating the delivery and purpose of an author reading. at.pw.org/CollectiveEffervescence
#ClipOfTheDay: In this virtual reading, Poets & Writers Magazine features editor India Lena González introduces the 2025 cohort of “5 Over 50” debut authors: Princess Joy L. Perry, Vishwas R. Gaitonde, Yael Valencia Aldana, Lauren K. Watel, and Jennifer Eli Bowen. at.pw.org/5Over50Reading2025
November 11, 2025 at 1:00 AM
#ClipOfTheDay: In this virtual reading, Poets & Writers Magazine features editor India Lena González introduces the 2025 cohort of “5 Over 50” debut authors: Princess Joy L. Perry, Vishwas R. Gaitonde, Yael Valencia Aldana, Lauren K. Watel, and Jennifer Eli Bowen. at.pw.org/5Over50Reading2025
You’re invited! 🎉 Join us on Thursday, November 20, at 8 PM EDT for a with the 2025 Get the Word Out fiction fellows. These writers have been taking part in our publicity incubator for debut and early-career authors. Learn more and register for this free virtual event: at.pw.org/fiction25
November 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM
You’re invited! 🎉 Join us on Thursday, November 20, at 8 PM EDT for a with the 2025 Get the Word Out fiction fellows. These writers have been taking part in our publicity incubator for debut and early-career authors. Learn more and register for this free virtual event: at.pw.org/fiction25
Housed in the trunk of a car, AUTO Books travels throughout Los Angeles, bringing art, photography, and poetry books to readers across the city. “…being mobile allows us to…[reach] new audiences without being tied to a fixed location,” says co-owner/curator Sarah Taylor-Winch. at.pw.org/AUTOBooks
November 9, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Housed in the trunk of a car, AUTO Books travels throughout Los Angeles, bringing art, photography, and poetry books to readers across the city. “…being mobile allows us to…[reach] new audiences without being tied to a fixed location,” says co-owner/curator Sarah Taylor-Winch. at.pw.org/AUTOBooks
#PWNonfictionPrompt: Write a personal essay about how your literary output has evolved over the years in connection to the state of your body. at.pw.org/ThatWasThen
November 8, 2025 at 2:00 PM
#PWNonfictionPrompt: Write a personal essay about how your literary output has evolved over the years in connection to the state of your body. at.pw.org/ThatWasThen
Enjoy the opening lines of new debut poetry and prose collections—Love, Dirt by Bruce Johnson, Natural History by Brandon Kilbourne, and Something Small of How to See a River by Teresa Dzieglewicz, among others—by checking out our latest #PageOne installment: at.pw.org/PageOne2025x6
November 8, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Enjoy the opening lines of new debut poetry and prose collections—Love, Dirt by Bruce Johnson, Natural History by Brandon Kilbourne, and Something Small of How to See a River by Teresa Dzieglewicz, among others—by checking out our latest #PageOne installment: at.pw.org/PageOne2025x6
#ClipOfTheDay: In this episode of the Fashion Neurosis podcast hosted by Bella Freud, Ocean Vuong speaks about how the Japanese concept of negative space, ma, influences his approach to the line and why he wants to write eight books in total by the end of his career. at.pw.org/FashionNeurosisVuong
November 8, 2025 at 1:00 AM
#ClipOfTheDay: In this episode of the Fashion Neurosis podcast hosted by Bella Freud, Ocean Vuong speaks about how the Japanese concept of negative space, ma, influences his approach to the line and why he wants to write eight books in total by the end of his career. at.pw.org/FashionNeurosisVuong
The Time Is Now to spark your writing! This week we recommend an anthology of concrete poetry edited by Nancy Perloff and #PWWritingPrompts on limitations, attic finds, and trends in etiquette. Read more: at.pw.org/TTIN
November 7, 2025 at 11:30 PM
The Time Is Now to spark your writing! This week we recommend an anthology of concrete poetry edited by Nancy Perloff and #PWWritingPrompts on limitations, attic finds, and trends in etiquette. Read more: at.pw.org/TTIN
#FromTheArchive #CraftCapsule no. 23: Tayari Jones shares insights into building the protagonist of her novel, An American Marriage (@algonquin). “On the level of craft, it just didn’t work. For one thing, you can’t write a compelling novel about what someone doesn’t do.” at.pw.org/2BbSM6q
Craft Capsule: Every Novel Is a Journey
Authors share their notes on writing in this series of micro craft essays. In the latest installment: Tayari Jones completes the journey of writing her novel An American Marriage.
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November 7, 2025 at 4:03 PM
#FromTheArchive #CraftCapsule no. 23: Tayari Jones shares insights into building the protagonist of her novel, An American Marriage (@algonquin). “On the level of craft, it just didn’t work. For one thing, you can’t write a compelling novel about what someone doesn’t do.” at.pw.org/2BbSM6q
Calling all New York State Writers! The Readings & Workshops Grants application period is open. These grants pays fees to writers who participate in public readings or teach creative workshops in diverse community settings throughout New York State. Learn more and apply by Nov 30: at.pw.org/rwfunds
November 7, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Calling all New York State Writers! The Readings & Workshops Grants application period is open. These grants pays fees to writers who participate in public readings or teach creative workshops in diverse community settings throughout New York State. Learn more and apply by Nov 30: at.pw.org/rwfunds
#ClipOfTheDay: In this event hosted by Prince George’s County Memorial Library System and the Office of Human Rights, Julian Brave NoiseCat talks about how his father’s experiences at a segregated boarding school in Canada inspired his debut book, We Survived the Night. at.pw.org/NoiseCat
November 7, 2025 at 1:00 AM
#ClipOfTheDay: In this event hosted by Prince George’s County Memorial Library System and the Office of Human Rights, Julian Brave NoiseCat talks about how his father’s experiences at a segregated boarding school in Canada inspired his debut book, We Survived the Night. at.pw.org/NoiseCat
#FromTheArchive #CraftCapsule no. 51: Novelist Emma Copley Eisenberg celebrates the magic of reporting as a research tool: “You ask the right person the right question at the right time, and they’ll tell you something that has never before been told in the history of the world.” at.pw.org/IRL
Craft Capsule: Researching IRL
“You ask the right person the right question at the right time, and they’ll tell you something that has never before been told in the history of the world.” Emma Copley Eisenberg celebrates the magic…
at.pw.org
November 6, 2025 at 8:33 PM
#FromTheArchive #CraftCapsule no. 51: Novelist Emma Copley Eisenberg celebrates the magic of reporting as a research tool: “You ask the right person the right question at the right time, and they’ll tell you something that has never before been told in the history of the world.” at.pw.org/IRL
Based in Grinnell, Iowa, and motivated by a mission to support reforestation, Green Linden Press publishes around six titles per year. Learn more about the organization and their imprint, Salon des Refusés, launching in 2027 in celebration of innovation and beauty: at.pw.org/GreenLindenPress
November 6, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Based in Grinnell, Iowa, and motivated by a mission to support reforestation, Green Linden Press publishes around six titles per year. Learn more about the organization and their imprint, Salon des Refusés, launching in 2027 in celebration of innovation and beauty: at.pw.org/GreenLindenPress
We can't wait to see you tonight! Join this year’s 5 Over 50 authors for a celebratory reading and conversation about their individual paths to publication at 7 PM EST. This virtual event is free; registration is required. RSVP: at.pw.org/5over5025
November 6, 2025 at 1:01 PM
We can't wait to see you tonight! Join this year’s 5 Over 50 authors for a celebratory reading and conversation about their individual paths to publication at 7 PM EST. This virtual event is free; registration is required. RSVP: at.pw.org/5over5025
#ClipOfTheDay: In this Service95 Book Club interview hosted by Dua Lipa, Margaret Atwood talks about the research she conducted in order to imagine the Republic of Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale and how the current political landscape is reflective of the themes in her book. at.pw.org/AtwoodService95
November 6, 2025 at 1:00 AM
#ClipOfTheDay: In this Service95 Book Club interview hosted by Dua Lipa, Margaret Atwood talks about the research she conducted in order to imagine the Republic of Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale and how the current political landscape is reflective of the themes in her book. at.pw.org/AtwoodService95
“At fifty-four I took stock of my professional life, such as it was. My publishing record resembled that of your average emerging writer—someone, in my mind, much younger, fresh out of a creative writing program perhaps.”–#5Over50 author Lauren K. Watel for our latest issue: at.pw.org/LaurenWatel
November 5, 2025 at 7:32 PM
“At fifty-four I took stock of my professional life, such as it was. My publishing record resembled that of your average emerging writer—someone, in my mind, much younger, fresh out of a creative writing program perhaps.”–#5Over50 author Lauren K. Watel for our latest issue: at.pw.org/LaurenWatel
”Book publishing is a team sport! This work requires stamina and trust on every leg, and it also requires rigorous preparation.“ Read more from Audrey Crooks, agent at Trident Media Group, on trusting the process—and your team: at.pw.org/AERCrooks
November 5, 2025 at 5:56 PM
”Book publishing is a team sport! This work requires stamina and trust on every leg, and it also requires rigorous preparation.“ Read more from Audrey Crooks, agent at Trident Media Group, on trusting the process—and your team: at.pw.org/AERCrooks
#FromTheArchive #CraftCapsule no. 79: “Against Universality, in Praise of Anger” by poet Chen Chen. In this capsule, Chen Chen breaks expected form to explore the question “When the term universal comes up, ask: Whose universe?” at.pw.org/AgainstUniversality
Craft Capsule: Against Universality, in Praise of Anger
The author of When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities embraces and develops a queer Asian American poetics.
at.pw.org
November 5, 2025 at 1:01 PM
#FromTheArchive #CraftCapsule no. 79: “Against Universality, in Praise of Anger” by poet Chen Chen. In this capsule, Chen Chen breaks expected form to explore the question “When the term universal comes up, ask: Whose universe?” at.pw.org/AgainstUniversality
#ClipOfTheDay: In this New Yorker Festival event, George Saunders and Zadie Smith speak about their respective careers in writing and dissect some of their New Yorker stories in a conversation with the magazine’s fiction editor Deborah Treisman. at.pw.org/SaundersAndSmith
November 5, 2025 at 1:00 AM
#ClipOfTheDay: In this New Yorker Festival event, George Saunders and Zadie Smith speak about their respective careers in writing and dissect some of their New Yorker stories in a conversation with the magazine’s fiction editor Deborah Treisman. at.pw.org/SaundersAndSmith