“How is spoken word different from page poetry?” This question seems to have a pretty basic answer: one is written with the intention of being performed, or spoken aloud, while the other is written specifically for the page. I’ve always felt that spoken word is more accessible to the average audience than written page poetry. I don’t know many people… Read More

As a poet, I naturally have an obsession with language. I pay attention to conversations to pick up phrases and images that I find beautiful, fishing for little moments that I can insert into stanzas of writing – this applies to both the Marshallese and English language. But while I pay attention to the Marshallese language and make a conscientious… Read More

  For this week’s post I’ve been asked to reflect on the influence that my mother has had on my writing. Talk about a tough assignment! I could write an entire book about my mother – and eventually I plan on doing so (expect a biography in maybe 6-10 years). But for this blog post, I’ll stick to the basic… Read More