Tuesday 16 August 2022

Evan Williams : part four

What poets changed the way you thought about writing?

Mostly contemporary writers. The state of poetry in the last couple of decades is an innovative explosion. I’ve learned so much from poets like M. NourbeSe Philip, Sabrina Orah Mark, Zachary Schomburg, Ben Lerner, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, Suzanne Buffam, Nathan Hoks, Srikanth Reddy, Carsten René Nielsen, Mark Leidner, Kirsten Ihns, and so, so many more. 

When I made a turn toward prose poetry, I looked to a lot of writers who blew up the idea of genre for me in so many ways, like Joanna Ruocco, Lydia Davis, Mary Ruefle, Anne Carson, and Mark Baumer. 

I hold all of the above work very close to my heart. In fact, I have these authors’ books arranged in my apartment such that, if there were a fire, I would be able to grab them in one hand on the way out the door with my cat. 

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