Poets & Writers

Reconnecting After a Silence

1 BECOME an open door. This can mean different things at different times. It might mean: Clear your calendar of other obligations, even if for only an hour or two, or a day or two, a week. It might mean: Find the courage to say—even as privately as to a piece of paper—what is in you to say. It might mean: Don’t be afraid to write badly. It might mean: Welcome the silence; think of silence

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Poets & Writers

Poets & Writers3 min read
Reactions
Feedback from readers “Earth: Ground Yourself in Purpose” (January/February 2024) by Laura Spence-Ash caught my attention and my heart. I related most especially to her recounting of feedback she received in a workshop that nearly derailed her writin
Poets & Writers1 min read
Connecting New Yorkers With Writers
Every year since 1970, Poets & Writers has paid writers to participate in readings and teach creative writing workshops in New York State. Last year we distributed more than $240,000 to 557 writers participating in 1,148 readings or writing workshops
Poets & Writers4 min read
Prize Judged by Incarcerated Readers
Reginald Dwayne Betts didn’t consider himself a reader until he was sent to solitary confinement for the first time. Betts, then a teenager serving an eight-year prison sentence for carjacking, was surprised by what he saw: a world centered in many w

Related Books & Audiobooks