Victoria Chang, the prominent poet and Antioch MFA core faculty, is a longtime advocate for “literary citizenship”—she says we ought to create writing worlds full of collaboration, generosity, and mutual aid. Furthering this cause, last year she served as poetry editor for the New York Times and used her tenure focused on bringing in new voices. Back in 2021 we interviewed Victoria on the Seed Field Podcast, and in the years since these themes have only become more important. In this conversation from our archives we explore what being a good literary citizen means to Victoria, how this ethos has influenced her own work and career, and how building a more inclusive writing community benefits everyone.
Visit Common Thread to read our recent article, “Victoria Chang Wins 2023 Chowdhury Prize in Literature.”
Visit our website to learn more about Antioch’s MFA in Creative Writing.
You can purchase the books we talked about in the show, The Trees Witness Everything, Asian American Poetry: The Next Generation, Love, Love, OBIT, and Dear Memory: Letters on Writing, Silence, and Grief.
Recorded September 2, 2021 via Riverside.fm. First released September 8, 2021, and re-released April 19, 2023.
Host: Jasper Nighthawk
Editor: Lauren Instenes
Re-Release Editor: Johanna Case
Digital Design: Mira Mead
Web Content Coordination: Jen Mont
Work-Study Intern: Sierra-Nicole E. DeBinion
A special thanks to Karen Hamilton, Amelia Bryan, and Melinda Garland
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