Episode Thirty-two

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Photo credit: Ananda Lima

Photo credit: Ananda Lima

Như and I discussed her recent chapbook A System of Satellites and her writing practice, finding dignity as a trans poet, and writing past ingrained fear and doubt.

She also asked me questions. Hear me stumble trying to answer questions about my writing practice and how I approach writing with personal experiences.

Như Xuân Nguyễn is a queer and trans Vietnamese American poet and writer. A Kundiman Fellow and a graduate of the MFA program in Creative Writing at Rutgers-Newark, she won the 2018 Poetry Society of America Chapbook Fellowship with her debut chapbook A System of Satellites. Her work has appeared in The Offing, DELUGE (Radioactive Moat), The Journal, The Shade Journal, and Juked. She is currently based in New York City, where she lives with her two cats, Arya and Azula. 

Như's website
Buy Như's chapbook

Note: I refer to a NOLA poetry fest panel that is no longer happening due to COVID-19. Wash your hands and stay at home, everyone.

People and Books Mentioned:

Editor and Social Media Manager: Mitchel Davidovitz

The Sound of Waves Breaking: Lunar Wind, @Walter_Odington

Episode Nine!

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I am so honored to get to speak with Vita E. Cleveland about her recent chapbook Dedications. The conversation, of course, wanders elsewhere: toward her percussion expertise, musings on art's intersection with activism, slut shaming in activist circles, and more.

Poets Mentioned in this episode:

This episode was edited by Mitchel Davidovitz, whose experimental audio work "Window of Normalization" you can check out at his bandcamp. 

"The Sound of Waves Breaking" was Vita E's drum solo "Clave." You can listen to the entirety of "Clave" at her SoundCloud page. 

Transcripts forthcoming, I promise!