In the World of Words: Copper Canyon Press Executive Director Ryo Yamaguchi on Poetry, Craft, and Publishing
When we met Ryo Yamaguchi—the Publisher & Executive Director of Copper Canyon Press, a mission-driven, independent press that has been dedicated to poetry for over fifty years, during residency—Oona and I found ourselves suspended between the quiet and the storm: the uncertainty of the artistic life and the risky crosscurrents of what we are meant to do with our vulnerability once it has found its way onto the page. What becomes of the work after the long months—or years—of devotion? What becomes of us?
Interview with Bryson Chun, IAIA MFA in Screenwriting Alum Soon to Write Live-Action Musical Feature ‘The First & Last’ For Tara Sickmeier’s Meráki
“My first dream was to write a book to become an author. But once I figured out that this would be a lot of pages and words, my enthusiasm waned a little. However, I did enjoy writing and engaging in creative writing. Once I started studying screenwriting more seriously, I saw the form, and what it what it could do, I realized that this could become a job.
When making a movie, the screenplay is an integral part of the process. It's not just a blueprint. It's a piece of art that's being interpreted. Also, I think that's when I found my voice. It fit that medium so clearly to me. So, it connected a lot of dots.”
Interview with Chris Hoshnic, Chapter House Journal Editor-in-Chief, on Crossing Genres from Poetry to Playwriting and Beyond
“I remember sitting alongside my director, writing on sticky notes to them if something felt off. I remember I rewrote whole scenes mid-rehearsal. I had the stage manager run downstairs across the street, print out new pages, come back, and she would give the cast new pages.”
Interview with Héctor Tobar, author of Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of Latino
Few writers capture the layered realities of Latinidad, migration, and belonging with the grace, precision, and moral clarity of Héctor Tobar. The author of six acclaimed books translated into fifteen languages, Tobar’s work traverses the Americas—both geographically and spiritually—bridging journalism and literature in a voice that is both intimate and global.
Matt Sedillo, author of the recently published Mexican Style, gives a candid interview over craft, the current state of Chicano poetry, and many more insights
Matt Sedillo is a prolific Chicano poet whose third poetry book is coming out this September, entitled “Mexican Style,” published by Flowersong Press. This new book opens the reader to a whole new expanse of history and art, setting the stage for a revolution of the mind and hopefully leading those feeling marginalized to a profound sense of belonging.
