What work first influenced you ? What current writers make you look forward to reading ?
It ’ s funny — I feel like most writers were first inspired by one of the Greats — Emily Dickinson , William Shakespeare , Edna St . Vincent Millay , Walt Whitman . I personally wasn ’ t . My first favorite writers were ( and are ) still on the rise — which I think has been tremendously exciting and valuable . I ’ ve been able to sit down and talk about life & writing with Ocean Vuong , and just recently read alongside Tarfia Faizullah and Chen Chen at the Richmond Poetry Festival . You can ’ t do that with Emily or Walt !
How do you stay engaged with fellow writers and editors ?
I ’ m so thankful for Facebook and social media . Especially because of the isolation that comes with being a ‘ professional ’ undergraduate student writer ( one of a mighty relative few ), I think I ’ ve really depending on electronic community to close the distance between my undergraduate years and the MFA / post-grad writing atmosphere .
What gives you strength and hope as a writer ?
Definitely my work with young writers . I ’ m most certainly fearful about our collective future , both as a writer and a human being — but young writers give me faith that we ’ ll at least have brilliant , on-point chronicling and fighting far into the future .
What are you planning to work on next ?
Right now , I ’ ve got my sights on graduation from the University of Pennsylvania later on this spring ! After that — well , we ’ ll have to see !
What advice would Editor Peter give to Writer Peter ? Vice versa ?
This is such an interesting question ! I love it — I ’ m going to continue thinking about it after this . I ’ d say that Editor Peter would tell Writer Peter to zoom out every now and again and focus on appreciation of others ’ work rather than production of his own work . I suppose Writer Peter would tell Editor Peter to mind his own business ? Ha .
How can the community of writers at large support one another ?
By making a conscious effort to be as open and accessible as possible . I ’ ve seen a lot of cliques in the professional writing world that I think inhibit and discourage the growth of those who don ’ t belong to one . At the same time , I openly advocate for calling out problematic writing and writers , writers who appropriate , fictionalize , or trivialize the trauma and oppression of others . I only resist the exclusion of well-intentioned writers , the responsible ones .
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