Craft and Creativity
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Newest Features
On Questioning Reality
Many great poems are born out of questions. After all, poetry has been interrogating reality since the dawn of language. What does it mean to be human? To be on this Earth? To quote Mary Oliver, “what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Good poets know how to…
On Messy Characters
In fiction, the best characters are at least a little messy. Sometimes, they have a lot of problems. Sometimes, they’re just plain awful people—people we never want to meet in real life. Yet, somehow, on paper, we find ourselves loving them regardless, flaws and all. How is that possible? Great storyteller gives their characters boundless…
Profiles in Craft: Jessie Roy
About the instructor: Jessie Roy is a fiction writer, teacher, and editor whose work has appeared in American Literary Review, The Journal, and Cream City Review. She holds two advanced degrees in creative writing: an MFA from Syracuse University and a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Among many other awards and honors, Jessie has…