​An Interview with The Kenyon Review

I’m grateful to The Kenyon Review for giving me an opportunity to talk about my new book of poems, The Grace of Distance, and to Kristina Marie Darling for asking such good questions. I especially want to flag my advice for writers—just because for years I’ve thought the key to so much of the writing life is simply: Be Persistent. Be Stubborn. 

So please read the whole interview—and better yet, please read the book! But also please take some heart, as needed, from this:

I think it’s easy, especially when you’re starting out, to get discouraged or feel like your writing isn’t finding a place “out there” in the world of journals and book publishers. I’ve felt that way plenty of times. My best advice is… be stubborn and determined. Believe in your work—and keep sending your best work out to journals you read and admire, or to publishers whose books and chapbooks you enjoy. Just keep putting your work out there. There are so many writers trying to get published. It can take time for even the best work to find a good home.