Ten Questions for Bob Hicok
“I’m looking for my honest response when my eyes first fall upon a poem.” —Bob Hicok, author of Breathe
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Article Archive
Articles from Poet & Writers Magazine include material from the print edition plus exclusive online-only material.
Always Beginning, Always Continuing: On Non-Expertise
The author of Unstuck: A Writer’s Guide (Tin House, April 2026) encourages writers to embrace being an amateur in all corners of their lives.
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Beware of Scams Targeting Writers
Scams targeting writers remain a threat, and Poets & Writers urges the literary community to be vigilant to avoid falling prey to scammers and frauds.
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Me vs. the Machines: How to Spot a Phishing Scheme
As the onslaught of scams and schemes targeting the writing community continues, one writer who nearly fell for an e-mail scam herself offers advice and a step-by-step guide to avoid falling prey to the bots.
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Disclosures: Earning, Sustaining, and Honoring Your Readers’ Trust
While writing a novel containing themes of sexual abuse, an author worked hard to earn and sustain her readers’ trust, which was reciprocated by readers in the form of unexpected, personal disclosures at launch events.
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The Joy of the Tortured Artist: Why We Write, Even When We Hate to Write
A celebrated memoirist considers why putting pen to paper can be so emotionally taxing—and what the rewards are when we persist.
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The Time Is Now: Writing Prompts and Exercises
Write a poem using a variety of sounds to convey complex feelings, a story in which the setting reveals the mindset of a character, or a portrait of your life using overheard, seen, or invented language as it occurs throughout your day.
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Q&A: Gumnit Leads Little Free Library
The new executive director and CEO of Little Free Library discusses the power of community organizing and the importance of championing banned and diverse books.
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The Written Image: Friends Who Came to See Me
The Morgan Library & Museum illuminates the poet John Ashbery’s artistic and personal influences through an exhibition of manuscripts and twenty-five works on paper.
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Literary MagNet: Alan Chazaro
The poet Alan Chazaro highlights journals that have published his poems, which meditate on the “physical and social dimensions” of space.
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Small Press Points: 42 Miles
Founded in 2010 at Indiana University in South Bend, 42 Miles Press publishes “stirring, daring” poetry and encourages authors to submit work they “might be afraid to send elsewhere.”
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A Poetry Prize Without Borders
New Directions, Fitzcarraldo Editions, and Giramondo partner for a new translated poetry prize, connecting literary communities across the globe.
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The Closure of CCA
As the California College of the Arts prepares to shut down in spring 2027, students and faculty at the state’s oldest private arts school are left in the lurch.
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A Clanker of a Creator: Anthropic’s Frankensteinian Fair Use
The author of Best Copy Available takes a close look at the Anthropic copyright settlement and unpacks the ruling of fair use after the company amassed a library of over seven million books to build and train its large language model.
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The Debut Phenomenon: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction
The author of Middlemen: Literary Agents and the Making of American Fiction reveals how every debut author’s dream of landing an agent is matched by the hunger of every young agent to land a successful debut and establish themselves.
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The Hellbender Gathering of Poets
Poets gather in Black Mountain, North Carolina, to reflect on our climate-changed world.
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Contest Index: Forty Reasons to Feel Inspired
A quick guide to forty of the most inspiring prizes for short work, environmental writing, work by older writers, and works-in-progress.
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Personal Victories: Writers’ Stories of the Wins That Mean the Most
Writers including CJ Hauser, Nancy Jooyoun Kim, Uttama Patel, and Ethan Rutherford reflect on the quieter wins that have affirmed them as writers, with or without a medal or trophy.
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Staying the Course: Contests That Support Long-Term Projects
On the long road to finishing a book-length manuscript, the affirmation and practical support of these eleven prizes for works-in-progress can give writers an invaluable boost.
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A Win Right on Time: Contests for Older Writers
The author of Dreamt I Found You talks to editors and writers about a growing number of prizes honoring debuts at age 50, 60, 70, or beyond, recognizing that there is no one timeline for being a writer.
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A Toast to the Short and Sweet: Contests That Shine a Light on Short Forms
The author of How to Submit: Getting Your Writing Published With Literary Magazines and Small Presses offers a guide to great prizes for poems, stories, and essays, where editors celebrate the artistry that goes into shaping these small gem of poetry and prose.
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Celebrating the Earth That Lifts Us Up: Contests Honoring Environmental Writing
A unique field of awards recognizes the capacity of writers to tell the Earth’s stories with wonder and to advocate for its protection.
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Agents & Editors: Alia Hanna Habib
Alia Hanna Habib of the Gernert Company talks about taking the pressure off first conversations with writers, the similarities between agenting and dating, and knowledgeably breaking the unspoken rules of the book industry.
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The Wildness and the Mystery: A Profile of Julia Alvarez
For over forty years Julia Alvarez has told stories that have established hers among the biggest names in contemporary literature. A new book, Visitations, offers a personal, poignant look back while proving she’s nowhere near finished.
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Page One: Where New and Noteworthy Books Begin
The first lines of a dozen noteworthy books, including Hungered by Amanda Rizkalla and I Was Bonnie & Clyde by Laura Kasischke.
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