Back Draft is an ongoing interview series focused on the revision process. Founded and edited by Ben Purkert, the series provides a window into how early work is transformed into a finished product.
Victoria Chang: “Obit” / “Obit”
Heather Christle: “Untitled” / “The Spider”
Cynthia Cruz: “Hollywood” / “Nature Mort”
Cedar Sigo: “Man Sitting with Yellow Flowers” / “Man Drowning with Flowers”
Catherine Barnett: “En Route” / “En Route”
Natasha Trethewey: “Pentimento” / “Repentance”
Edward Hirsch: “How Memory Works” / “Stranger by Night”
Martín Espada: “The Bard Shakes the Snow From the Trees” / “The Bard Shakes the Snow From the Trees”
John Murillo: “Mercy, Mercy Me” / “Mercy, Mercy Me”
Emily Wilson: The Odyssey
Miranda Popkey: Topics of Conversation
Rachel Eliza Griffiths: “Mirror”
Emma McMillan: Susanna and the Elders
Danez Smith: “waiting on you to die so I can be myself”
Lisa Dillman: A Luminous Republic
Clint Smith: How the Word Is Passed
Bianca Stone: “Emily Dickinson”
Sterling HolyWhiteMountain: “Featherweight”
Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman: The Very Nice Box
Rebecca Donner: All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days
Hala Alyan: The Arsonists’ City
Meghan O’Rourke: The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness