In The Field: Conversations With Our Contributors—Jennifer Militello
Your two poems, "Wax Self Portrait/" and "Wax Portrait of a Marriage/" are beautiful short prose pieces. What inspired you to write them? These two pieces are centered around the story of Anna Morandi Manzolini, an 18th-century Italian artist and anatomist who...
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In The Field: Conversations With Our Contributors—Josh Nicolaisen
Your piece, "Sometimes I Walk Barefoot Through Freshly Tilled Soil," wraps up Volume 27. Where did the inspiration for this piece come from? Yes, and thank you so much for such a prized spot in the journal. I was truly awed and honored when my copy arrived. I...
In The Field: Conversations With Our Contributors—Abie Irabor
In your poem, "Movie Star," you create a spotlight of excitement surrounding a parent coming home. What sparked this poem's creation and the comparison of the homecoming to a celebrity? This poem's creation originated from a short story I wrote back in Graduate...
In The Field: Conversations With Our Contributors—Jennifer Bowen
There are so many facets of your nonfiction piece "Just the Song." Where did the spark for this piece come from? The pressure to write it came while watching my kid perform in Cabaret on the day of Donald Trump’s first inauguration. It was haunting to watch my son’s...
In The Field: Conversations With Our Contributors—Lisa Higgs
Your two poems, “About Nothing” and “Pandemic Dreams” are beautifully-worked pieces. Where sparked the creation of these pieces? As one might imagine with “Pandemic Dreams,” I wrote this poem at some point during the lockdowns or soon thereafter. I don’t think I was...
In The Field: Conversations With Our Contributors—Bill Marsh
In your piece "Water Striders," you emphasize the steps involved "in learning, once again, how to love." Where did the idea for this piece come from? I wrote the first draft in early 2021, deep into COVID, when life was unstable on many levels. At the time my wife and...
In The Field: Conversations With Our Contributors—Jonathan Wittmaier
"Terrarium" really reflects the chaos of the family cooped up during a summer COVID lockdown. What prompted you to write this story? Being cooped up myself during that initial COVID lockdown is what prompted me to write this particular story. At the time, I was living...
In The Field: Conversations With Our Contributors—Todne Thomas
Your poem, “day of the dead,” tells a story within a multi-generational family structure. Where did the inspiration for this piece come from? The inspiration for this poem came from my son. His grandfather died the year before he was born. One day in our...
In The Field: Conversations With Our Contributors—Sheila McMullin
Your poem “Thank You” blends the telling of past histories and the present conflict in a relationship, as well as imaginative statements. What was your inspiration for this poem? What was your process for blending history and imagination? “Thank You” comes from...