On Writing
How Publishing My First Novel at Twenty-Five Almost Ruined Me for Life
I thought I was the exception to every rule about writing being a hard living. I got exactly what I deserved.
How This Lawyer Learned to Call Herself a Writer
My vision of a writer has always been someone quiet, someone introverted, and—especially—someone white.
Magic and Echoes: How Music Helps Me Write
Acoustic-rich spaces feel enlivening and the echoes they produce sound like life.
My Editor Was Black
Debut author Naima Coster on working with Morgan Parker, the whiteness of publishing, and literary self-determination.
Between Sex Work and Poetry, a Proposition from a Writing Professor
“I trusted him, as students must their teachers, and he betrayed my trust.”
On Making Things Up: Some True Stories About Writing My Novel
“I want you to believe every single word I say, but don’t be fooled—I’m using lies to convince you.”
Against Fame: On Publishing, Popularity, and Ambition
“The problem with fame is not its rarity; it’s that it is out of our control.”
How Solange and Morgan Parker Inspired Me to Write My Heroine
I thought I had to make myself smaller, quieter, in order to survive.
The Palette Knife; or, How I Rewrote My Book
It wasn’t a matter of finding my voice, but listening to it. It had been there all along.
What I Think of the Fact That You Keep Asking Me What My Family Thinks of My Writing
When men create characters based on themselves, they are innovative; when women do it, they’re shaming their families.