What poets changed the way you thought about writing?
I’m enlivened, reawakened, stunned and inspired by other writers all the time. I can only answer this question in terms of two writers whose work I have focused on the most in the last two years: Alison C. Rollins and Ocean Vuong. They are the poets whose work I cling to currently and read over and over. I love Ocean Vuong’s mastery of metaphor and his control and pacing. It is something I aspire to. I read his poetry breathless and fully alive.
I am also endlessly fascinated by the poetry of Alison C. Rollins. Library of Small Catastrophes is one of my favorite books of poetry. She is so incredibly precise, but her work moves so effortlessly. I am captivated by how she can feel so consistently precise and maintain that sensation in longer poems with many sections. She is a librarian and I love how her work naturally influences her poems.
Jeanine Walker has been an amazing mentor and teacher to me for a few years now. She has introduced me to so many poets, many new forms, so much essential information on craft. Jeanine has probably influenced my writing more than any other poet and I feel so fortunate that I’ve had the opportunity to work so closely with her these last few years. It has been a singular experience to have a poet with so much knowledge and experience become so familiar with my work over the span of a few years. She also has a book coming out soon! I am elated for her and I can’t wait to read it.
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