The First Book: Armen Davoudian
I was attracted to those aspects of poetry where you can be in two places at once but also lost between them: rhyme, the pun, and “binary” forms like the sonnet.
Recent posts
Rumpus Articles
“All of Humanity Probably Won’t Enjoy My Book:” A Conversation with Debbie Urbanski
If you are reading the story of the last human on Earth, then you should expect to have to do some work.
A Manifested Destiny: Vinson Cunningham’s Great Expectations
There is the power of money and its capacity to corrupt—money that flows often from the pockets of wealthy white men but sheds some green onto any hand it touches.
Rumpus Original Fiction: Birthday at Newkirk Plaza
The woman asks CK if he has a bodega cat. He says no, even though there’s a cat sleeping on a bread box in back.
The Weaponization of Identity Politics: A Conversation with Andrew Boryga
I want to see a novel with POC characters but that’s the least interesting part of the book. . . . Just write a great book that happens to inhabit this world.
What to Read When You Want to Listen
In the last few years, audiobooks have helped me rekindle my identity as a reader.
Funny Women: Now Open for Submissions
Ultimately, we’ll determine your eligibility based on vibes.
A Palestinian Voice in Gaza: Mosab Abu Toha’s Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear
Here, the will to survive outlasts destruction. Here, Palestinians in Gaza coalesce with the land and its resilient growth and beauty.
Writing about Grief is Making Sense of It: A Conversation with Kyoko Mori
When entering a narrative that has great emotion, it’s important to commit to capturing the emotion and portraying it. But also knowing when to stop.
Syncopation
I need them to change the music to something harmless. Something by a blond pop star.