Backlit

What happens when reality becomes surreal? How do we draw the line between fiction and nonfiction? In this episode of Backlit, Egyptian novelist and poet Mohamed Kheir joins me in exploring surreal situations, inspired by the English translation of Sleep Phase. Blending past, present, and future in scenes that evoke the chaotic beauty of a changing city, Mohamed’s work examines how monumental shif...

How can we turn gaps into opportunities for imagination and creativity? What does it take to have meaningful human connection? How can writing help us articulate our ideas and values? In this episode of Backlit , writer and visionary Jennifer Eli Bowen joins me in exploring personal growth through literary writing and human connection, inspired by her essay collection, The Book of Kin . Examining...

How do we navigate complexity and tension in our daily lives? What happens when we hold complexity, rather than resolution, at the center of our understanding of cities, people, and art itself? In this episode of Backlit , poet and editor Wayne Miller joins me in exploring the city’s impact on individuals and society, inspired by his poetry collection The City, Our City . Balancing history and mod...

What can literary translation teach us about life? How does our attention to language generate hope and lead to new opportunities? In this episode of Backlit , writer and translator Marguerite Feitlowitz joins me in generating ideas for deepening understanding and stimulating creativity, inspired by her translation of Ennio Moltedo’s groundbreaking collection, Night . Brimming with imagination, hu...

How do we define and redefine ourselves as individuals? As a society? How do dialogue and correspondence move us toward real freedom and growth? In this episode of Backlit, poets Donnelle McGee and Synnika Lofton join me in generating ideas for exploring and revising ourselves and our world, inspired by their poetry collection, American Reverie . Topics discussed: Inspiration from music and poetry...

The Industrial Age has come to a close, and we are now in the midst of the Information Age—or are we past it? In this episode of Backlit , poet Laura-Gray Street joins us in a brainstorming conversation inspired by her recent poetry collection, Just Labor . Weaving together gender, industrialization, ecology and work, Laura-Gray’s work sparks new insights as we approach literature and life as an o...