Special Feature: “long live the queen” by Tramaine Suubi
A poem that traverses nearly two millennia of African queens, in stanzas that overlap seamlessly
Blog
Robert Thomas reads from “Sonnets with Riff and Hook”
Poet Robert Thomas reads two sections of his sonnet crown published in Issue 21.2.
Fiction Craft and Film
Assistant Editor Kate Jayroe: Imagine that you’re writing a short story or novel. In drafting a scene, are you seeing your intentions play out much like a film? A miniseries? A prestige television show? Dramatic moments might appear in slow motion, a soundtrack might kick in at a pivotal moment, and a popular actor could …
The Inward Pull and Pulsation: On the Erotics of Faylita Hicks’s A Map of My Want and Michael Chang’s Synthetic Jungle
Dorothy Chan on books by Faylita Hicks and Michael Chang that use sex in poetry to challenge norms.
“Breakwater”: On the Craft of Sex in Poetry
Poet Keetje Kuipers on the art of writing about self-pleasure.
Writing Sex
Jonathan Alexander on the craft of writing sex in nonfiction, looking at books by Zachary Zane and Tina Horn.
Middle Age Has Never Been So Sexy: Role Play and Erotic Binaries in All Fours
Gwen E. Kirby on Miranda July’s latest novel and its radical act of depicting a sexual middle-aged woman.
On the Literary Merits of Funny Sex
Edgar Gomez on crafting funny sex scenes in fiction and nonfiction.
Folio: Writing about Sex
In this folio to accompany issue 21.2, five writers explore the craft of writing about sex.
Special Feature: “Empathy in Three Movements” by Vedran Husić
A poignant and profound essay about the capacity for love and the devastation of grief.