The Alumni Spotlight is a place to hear from the School of the Arts alumni community about their journeys as artists and creators.
My thesis manuscript went on to win The Yale Series of Younger Poets Award. Since then, I have published three books of poetry, one internationally in Europe. My work has been translated into German, Greek, and Russian, and has been recipient of fellowships from the NEA and the Lilly Endowment.
Was there a specific faculty member or peer who especially inspired you while at the School of the Arts? If so, who and how?
Daniel Halpern and Stanley Kunitz, the best poetry workshop editors I ever experienced.
How did attending the School of the Arts impact your work and career as an artist?
It launched my career by my first publications and recommendations. My winning the Academy of the Arts Award in my first year validated my work, initially. Everything set in place from there.
What were the most pressing social/political issues on the minds of the students when you were here?
Finding employment after grad school. Finding our place in writing and the world.
If you could revisit any piece you created during your time at the School of the Arts, which would it be? Why?
My thesis manuscript went on to win The Yale Series of Younger Poets Award. I would revisit the other poems I wrote while a student and revise them. I also would revisit my friends I made there, my classmates.
What was your favorite or most memorable class while at the School of the Arts?
Daniel Halpern's workshop and Stanley Kunitz' workshop.
