Writer. Teacher. Seltzer enthusiast. Work in @msmagazine @mcsweeneys @marchxness + elsewhere. Writing about chronic illness, pop culture and parenthood. She/her
Many poets historically and today lean(ed) pretty hard into a curated persona of the tortured artist. I don't think it's unfair to let someone else explore this trope -- if that's even the direction the album takes.
The living poets who are bent out of shape about Swift's latest album title are almost as insufferable as the NFL fans threatened by her presence at a football game.
I haven't taught creative writing in nearly two years but I really miss having my students. here is a thread of some of writing advice I would give them 🧵
@heymrsbond Understanding their audience and purpose. This often means reframing their ideas in a way that is less about themselves, which is hard for everyone but especially young people, imo.
Genuine independent thinking when engaging with a text or concept; moving beyond the obvious.
@caityweaver Maybe this is weird, but my husband was reading this aloud to me, and within a few paragraphs, I said that it sounded like it was by the same writer who wrote that van life piece we liked so much. We loved this one, too!
@CarissasNewLife Had my first kid at almost 37! Easy pregnancy, uncomplicated birth, and beautiful, healthy baby. Highly recommend having good access to healthcare, though, which was key to a lot of that.
6. People are allowed to have opinions and criticisms about poetry - what makes something good or bad or influential or not - but that conversation in and of itself reflects poetry's relevance. (Even something click bait-y has to draw in folks interested in that topic).
Re: poetry is dead: a thread no one asked for
1. The hero worship of Eliot is so unbelievably boring. Like, you get to like what you like, fine - but so does everyone else.
5. I think part of what people celebrate in Eliot - that mixing of the casual and the erudite - is intentionally alienating. It's intended for a certain kind of reader. The idea that the best poetry is inaccessible is why "poetry is dead" keeps resurfacing. Poetry is for everyone