The In-Betweens explores the spaces Davon has occupied throughout his life as the child of a Black mother and White father, as a stepson and son, as a person with roots in Alabama and New Jersey, as a Black man in a world where “you fit the description” is offered as a sufficient enough reason to pull a driver over.
Read MoreOlivia Gatwood is a poet whom you’ve likely seen on the internet. Her spoken word videos, including “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” and “Ode to My Bitch Face,” have accumulated over 3 million views. As a queer, emerging poet myself, I’ve appreciated the issues she’s explored in her work.
Read MoreOn her new Sturgill Simpson-produced LP, Deluxe Hotel Room, Lucette explores all types of love and the relationships that come with it. I recently spoke with the Canadian-born musician about her hometown of Edmonton, writing serious songs, and how making the new album gave her the courage to open up to others.
Read MoreIn 2018 at AWP in Tampa, Florida, I asked Teague von Bohlen why people from the Midwest are so tall and he laughed—surprised by my height, I think. I’m short. So short my parents used to joke that something must’ve been in the water in our Boston suburb. Then Teague said, “I think it’s all the corn” and mentioned a book he was working on about the Midwest, one that would pair flash fiction with photographs. I knew immediately I wanted to read it.
Read MoreThe Way Down Wanderers have the trait I love most about my fellow Midwesterners: they refuse to be categorized. Give their sophomore album illusions one listen and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. I recently chatted with one of the band’s two main songwriters, Collin Krause, about their new LP, the great Midwest, and what it means to take risks in your music.
Read MoreThe Tenderness Project is full of writing, music, images with different textures, different rhythms, from different kinds of people, all in the name of tenderness. It feels something like an altar. Though a lot of folks in creative communities have one of Ross Gay’s collections on their shelves or have heard Shayla Lawson belt out Frank Ocean songs between her poems, not many are aware of the collaborative curatorial work they’re doing online. The near-obscurity of The Tenderness Project has created an intimacy amongst the contributors that we hope to invite you into here. There’s room. More than enough, because “we are each other.”
Read MoreIn a 2016 interview with The Guardian, author Mary Gaitskill said “Literature is not a realm for politeness.” That statement holds true for all artistic mediums. New Orleans-based singer-songwriter Carsie Blanton is no exception. An artist with six albums under her belt, all released with a pay-what-you-want, doesn’t sustain a career for fifteen years by being polite. She has made the albums she’s wanted to make, the way she wants to make them, with no interference from the powers that be. I recently chatted with Carsie about everything under the sun including her new album Buck Up, creating a sexy card game from scratch, and how she manages to balance so many projects at once.
Read MoreJames Charlesworth and I were first introduced by my husband who repeatedly mentioned a writer friend I should meet. I was skeptical. You’ve probably had a similar experience.
Read MoreI am in awe of the impact Ivelisse Rodriguez’s short-story collection Love War Stories had on me as a reader. Ivelisse got me laughing and crying and spitting mad. She also had me wanting to study her text for clues, connections, and themes like it was a university seminar.
Read MoreIn 2012, before I knew I wanted to pursue writing seriously, I came across Kathy Fish’s work online and quickly purchased her flash fiction collection Wild Life. The book was full of a kind of writing I had never read—quietly powerful, intuitive, and so beautifully brief.
Read MoreFrances Cone is the indie-pop outfit helmed by Christina Cone and Andrew Doherty. With the release of Late Riser, this Nashville-based band is set to make their mark on the world. I recently chatted with Christina about everything under the sun, including what she looks for in a song, the differences between live performances and studio recordings, and the pressure of being pushed into something you’re simply not ready for yet.
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