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
· Dec 17
Get ready for 2026 with our January/February issue! 🎉 Inside you’ll find tips for starting the new year with confidence, an essay on computer-free productivity for writers, a portfolio of our Inspiration Issue covers since 2010, our debut poets roundup, and so much more. at.pw.org/JanFeb2026
As writers we can sometimes forget just how expansive our visions and how varied our literary tools might be. To help, we’ve sourced inspiration from the wide literary landscape to gather lessons from various genres that can apply to any and all works. Delve in: at.pw.org/ThrillingAndWild
Inspiration From Across the Literary Landscape
Five acclaimed writers traverse the literary landscape, gleaning lessons from diverse genres of writing and bringing them back to bear on any work.
at.pw.org
February 10, 2026 at 8:33 PM
As writers we can sometimes forget just how expansive our visions and how varied our literary tools might be. To help, we’ve sourced inspiration from the wide literary landscape to gather lessons from various genres that can apply to any and all works. Delve in: at.pw.org/ThrillingAndWild
“If someone else could do it better, don’t write it.” In today's #TenQuestions, Anne Fadiman shares a look at the writing process for her new essay collection, Frog: And Other Essays, out now from @fsgbooks.bsky.social. Plus, the best writing advice she's ever received. Read more: at.pw.org/fadiman
February 10, 2026 at 3:43 PM
“If someone else could do it better, don’t write it.” In today's #TenQuestions, Anne Fadiman shares a look at the writing process for her new essay collection, Frog: And Other Essays, out now from @fsgbooks.bsky.social. Plus, the best writing advice she's ever received. Read more: at.pw.org/fadiman
#ClipOfTheDay: In this Gays Reading podcast interview with host Jason Blitman, Gabriel Tallent speaks about perseverance and what inspired his second novel, Crux (Riverhead Books). “I think people get good [at writing] through sheer guts.” at.pw.org/Tallent
February 10, 2026 at 1:00 AM
#ClipOfTheDay: In this Gays Reading podcast interview with host Jason Blitman, Gabriel Tallent speaks about perseverance and what inspired his second novel, Crux (Riverhead Books). “I think people get good [at writing] through sheer guts.” at.pw.org/Tallent
“That day of ‘solitude’ taught me that…I can also put [my laptop] down, engage with my notebooks, sketch out my plots in colored pencil…and end the day feeling like I was fully productive.” Read @laurenharkawik.bsky.social's writing experience without the pull of technology: at.pw.org/ComputerFree
February 9, 2026 at 8:33 PM
“That day of ‘solitude’ taught me that…I can also put [my laptop] down, engage with my notebooks, sketch out my plots in colored pencil…and end the day feeling like I was fully productive.” Read @laurenharkawik.bsky.social's writing experience without the pull of technology: at.pw.org/ComputerFree
Preview the first lines—and listen to readings!—from our latest #PageOne books: The Flower Bearers (Random House) by Rachel Eliza Griffiths, The Age of Calamities (Henry Holt) by Senaa Ahmad, E (Nightboat Books) by Noa Micaela Fields, and more. Enjoy: at.pw.org/PageOne2026x1
February 9, 2026 at 4:15 PM
Preview the first lines—and listen to readings!—from our latest #PageOne books: The Flower Bearers (Random House) by Rachel Eliza Griffiths, The Age of Calamities (Henry Holt) by Senaa Ahmad, E (Nightboat Books) by Noa Micaela Fields, and more. Enjoy: at.pw.org/PageOne2026x1
Calling all writers from Connecticut 🎉 Poets and fiction writers from Connecticut are invited to apply by March 1 for the 2026 Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award. This prestigious award aims to provide writers a network for professional advancement. Learn more and apply by March 1: at.pw.org/wex26
February 8, 2026 at 4:15 PM
Calling all writers from Connecticut 🎉 Poets and fiction writers from Connecticut are invited to apply by March 1 for the 2026 Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award. This prestigious award aims to provide writers a network for professional advancement. Learn more and apply by March 1: at.pw.org/wex26
#PWPoetryPrompt: Write a poem that uses commas as its only punctuation. How can commas create a steady rhythm in a poem? #FromTheArchive: at.pw.org/Commas
February 7, 2026 at 2:01 PM
#PWPoetryPrompt: Write a poem that uses commas as its only punctuation. How can commas create a steady rhythm in a poem? #FromTheArchive: at.pw.org/Commas
#ClipOfTheDay: In this LIVE From NYPL event, director Clint Bentley screens clips from his latest film, Train Dreams, and discusses the timeliness of its release. The film is an adaptation of the 2011 novella of the same name by Denis Johnson. at.pw.org/TrainDreams
February 7, 2026 at 1:00 AM
#ClipOfTheDay: In this LIVE From NYPL event, director Clint Bentley screens clips from his latest film, Train Dreams, and discusses the timeliness of its release. The film is an adaptation of the 2011 novella of the same name by Denis Johnson. at.pw.org/TrainDreams
The Time Is Now to spark your writing! This week we recommend a craft book on poetry written in verse by Lucy Newlyn, and #PWWritingPrompts on rhyming couplets, long journeys, and letters. Read more: at.pw.org/TTIN
February 6, 2026 at 11:30 PM
The Time Is Now to spark your writing! This week we recommend a craft book on poetry written in verse by Lucy Newlyn, and #PWWritingPrompts on rhyming couplets, long journeys, and letters. Read more: at.pw.org/TTIN
If working on your creative nonfiction manuscript is one of your New Year's resolutions, we've got you. Take a deep dive into querying, submitting, and perfecting your pitch with this online workshop led by @alissonwood.bsky.social. Grab a seat before early-bird discounts end! at.pw.org/cnfproposal
February 6, 2026 at 8:33 PM
If working on your creative nonfiction manuscript is one of your New Year's resolutions, we've got you. Take a deep dive into querying, submitting, and perfecting your pitch with this online workshop led by @alissonwood.bsky.social. Grab a seat before early-bird discounts end! at.pw.org/cnfproposal
Have you been looking for a writing community of your own? There are hundreds of writers on Poets & Writers Groups, like Estella and Mike, who are ready to connect with disciplined writers. Become a member, create your writer profile, and find your community today: groups.pw.org
February 6, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Have you been looking for a writing community of your own? There are hundreds of writers on Poets & Writers Groups, like Estella and Mike, who are ready to connect with disciplined writers. Become a member, create your writer profile, and find your community today: groups.pw.org
Multi-genre writer Benjamin Percy encourages us to defamiliarize our writing process and stay limber: “Here’s an exercise. Write your novel as a song. Here’s an exercise. If you could transform your short story into a painting, what would it look like?” at.pw.org/DareToDefamiliarize
February 5, 2026 at 8:33 PM
Multi-genre writer Benjamin Percy encourages us to defamiliarize our writing process and stay limber: “Here’s an exercise. Write your novel as a song. Here’s an exercise. If you could transform your short story into a painting, what would it look like?” at.pw.org/DareToDefamiliarize
“I’d like to form new empathies. I’d like to challenge who ‘we’ are, who gets to be included in our ‘us.’ I want to live in a world of radical companionship, nonhuman narratives, multispecies storytelling.” Debut poet John Liles on the philosophy and ethos behind his writing: at.pw.org/JohnLiles
February 5, 2026 at 4:15 PM
“I’d like to form new empathies. I’d like to challenge who ‘we’ are, who gets to be included in our ‘us.’ I want to live in a world of radical companionship, nonhuman narratives, multispecies storytelling.” Debut poet John Liles on the philosophy and ethos behind his writing: at.pw.org/JohnLiles
#ClipOfTheDay: In this 1997 interview for the Poet to Poet series, X. J. Kennedy reads a selection of his poems, including “Nude Descending a Staircase,” and talks about his start as a writer with host Robert Dunn. Kennedy died at the age of ninety-six on February 1. at.pw.org/XJKennedy
February 5, 2026 at 1:00 AM
#ClipOfTheDay: In this 1997 interview for the Poet to Poet series, X. J. Kennedy reads a selection of his poems, including “Nude Descending a Staircase,” and talks about his start as a writer with host Robert Dunn. Kennedy died at the age of ninety-six on February 1. at.pw.org/XJKennedy
ICYMI: Our free Small Presses database provides contact information, submission guidelines, and representative authors for over 250 presses vetted by our editorial team—everything you need to determine which publishers match your vision for your writing. Browse now: at.pw.org/smallpress
February 4, 2026 at 8:33 PM
ICYMI: Our free Small Presses database provides contact information, submission guidelines, and representative authors for over 250 presses vetted by our editorial team—everything you need to determine which publishers match your vision for your writing. Browse now: at.pw.org/smallpress
“Surely, I think, if someone can write or play the ‘Hammerklavier,’ I should be able to describe a peach,” writes @agri.bsky.social, author of Hyper (@coffeehousepress.bsky.social). Enjoy more: at.pw.org/WRIsmaïl
February 4, 2026 at 6:03 PM
“Surely, I think, if someone can write or play the ‘Hammerklavier,’ I should be able to describe a peach,” writes @agri.bsky.social, author of Hyper (@coffeehousepress.bsky.social). Enjoy more: at.pw.org/WRIsmaïl
Are you a creative nonfiction writer who's ready to start your publishing journey? Talk to agents and editors directly at our next edition of Mapping the Maze for fiction writers, taking place Feb 23 & 25. Learn more and register now for an early-bird discount—while space remains! at.pw.org/cnf26
February 4, 2026 at 4:15 PM
Are you a creative nonfiction writer who's ready to start your publishing journey? Talk to agents and editors directly at our next edition of Mapping the Maze for fiction writers, taking place Feb 23 & 25. Learn more and register now for an early-bird discount—while space remains! at.pw.org/cnf26
Brenda Wineapple speaks to the power of time in historical fiction, as well as the genre’s ability to teach us how to seek the unknown in the familiar. “Historical fiction is alive, vibrating with a past that is in the present, part of the world, part of character, part of us.” at.pw.org/TheUnknown
February 3, 2026 at 8:33 PM
Brenda Wineapple speaks to the power of time in historical fiction, as well as the genre’s ability to teach us how to seek the unknown in the familiar. “Historical fiction is alive, vibrating with a past that is in the present, part of the world, part of character, part of us.” at.pw.org/TheUnknown
"Look around, have courage, and learn to say yes to things you are unfamiliar with from time to time. So much of writing means observing the world." April Reynolds shares an inside look at her new novel, The Shape of Dreams, out now from @aaknopf.bsky.social. More: at.pw.org/reynolds
February 3, 2026 at 3:30 PM
"Look around, have courage, and learn to say yes to things you are unfamiliar with from time to time. So much of writing means observing the world." April Reynolds shares an inside look at her new novel, The Shape of Dreams, out now from @aaknopf.bsky.social. More: at.pw.org/reynolds
Based in Cuba, Ediciones Vigía has transformed over forty years from an informal gathering of creatives into an artisan press and publishing workshop. Their books are crafted by hand, incorporating recycled or repurposed materials, and inviting slower, tactile engagement. at.pw.org/EdicionesVigía
February 3, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Based in Cuba, Ediciones Vigía has transformed over forty years from an informal gathering of creatives into an artisan press and publishing workshop. Their books are crafted by hand, incorporating recycled or repurposed materials, and inviting slower, tactile engagement. at.pw.org/EdicionesVigía
#ClipOfTheDay: In this video, Rachel Eliza Griffiths talks about grief, poetry, vulnerability, and writing her first memoir, The Flower Bearers (Random House), for an episode of Poured Over: The Barnes & Noble Podcast with host Miwa Messer. at.pw.org/GriffithsFlowerBearers
February 3, 2026 at 1:00 AM
#ClipOfTheDay: In this video, Rachel Eliza Griffiths talks about grief, poetry, vulnerability, and writing her first memoir, The Flower Bearers (Random House), for an episode of Poured Over: The Barnes & Noble Podcast with host Miwa Messer. at.pw.org/GriffithsFlowerBearers
“No, you aren’t imagining things—Americans are, in fact, reading less than they used to,” begins Michael Bourne’s article for our new issue. A recent study has found a 43 percent drop in the number of Americans who report reading for pleasure daily over the last 20 years. at.pw.org/DeclineInReading
Study Shows Reading on the Decline
A study in iScience found a 43 percent drop over the last twenty years in the number of Americans who report reading for pleasure daily.
at.pw.org
February 2, 2026 at 8:33 PM
“No, you aren’t imagining things—Americans are, in fact, reading less than they used to,” begins Michael Bourne’s article for our new issue. A recent study has found a 43 percent drop in the number of Americans who report reading for pleasure daily over the last 20 years. at.pw.org/DeclineInReading
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 March 1: at.pw.org/rwfunds
February 2, 2026 at 5:54 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 March 1: at.pw.org/rwfunds
In our new issue, Renee Emerson recommends a three-day writing detox to start your new year with confidence. She details how to cleanse your writing past, how to rejuvenate your writing present, and how to focus on your writing future. Learn more: at.pw.org/WritingDetox
February 1, 2026 at 4:15 PM
In our new issue, Renee Emerson recommends a three-day writing detox to start your new year with confidence. She details how to cleanse your writing past, how to rejuvenate your writing present, and how to focus on your writing future. Learn more: at.pw.org/WritingDetox
“Decades! I’d say a large portion of the book was written over the past five or six years, but more than a few of them are older than my children. My oldest turns twenty-five this year.” Debut poet and author of Mele, Kalehua Kim, on the time spent writing her book. Read on: at.pw.org/KalehuaKim
January 31, 2026 at 4:15 PM
“Decades! I’d say a large portion of the book was written over the past five or six years, but more than a few of them are older than my children. My oldest turns twenty-five this year.” Debut poet and author of Mele, Kalehua Kim, on the time spent writing her book. Read on: at.pw.org/KalehuaKim