Helen Vendler and Marjorie Perloff in the words of people who loved them.

Caleb Femi on parties, golden pavements, and the downside of self-awareness. 

Mike Sonksen on the Los Angeles fires and what it means to love a city in danger.

Cass Donish on grief rituals, putting on makeup, and letting in joy.

Elisa Díaz Castelo on vertigo, breaking a chicken, and her grandmother's advice for a good life.

Violeta Orozco on the US presidential election, leaving Mexico, and her connection to deep time.

Tyler Mills on the truth, how to love a cockroach, and her grandfather's silence about the bomb.

A.B. Spellman on Jim Crow, alligator suede shoes, and shaking up the art of the castle.

Idra Novey on exile, stereotypes, and making art the center of your life.

Garth Greenwell on shame, small acts of love, and the patch of snow inside us.

Helena and Nicholson Baker on drawing your loved ones, the horrors of the world, and finding your way back to beauty.