12 or 20 (second series) questions with Yamini Pathak

Yamini Pathak is the author of poetry collection Her Mouth a Palace of Lamps (Milk & Cake Press, 2025). She has published poetry chapbooks Atlas of Lost Places (Milk & Cake Press, 2020) and Breath Fire Water Song (Ghost City Press, 2021). Yamini is a member of the 2025 Poets & Writers' Get the Word Out Poetry Cohort and serves as the editor of Inch with Bull City Press. A recipient of an Individual Artist Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, her work has been supported by Vermont Studio Center, Tin House, Kenyon Review Writers Workshops, and VONA. She was nominated for Best New Poets and was a finalist for Frontier Poetry’s Global Poetry Prize (South Asia). She holds an MFA in poetry from Antioch University, LA and her poems appear in West Branch, Poetry Northwest, and Tupelo Quarterly, among other journals. Born in India, she lives with her family in New Jersey.

1 - How did your first book or chapbook change your life? How does your most recent work compare to your previous? How does it feel different?

My first chapbook, Atlas of Lost Places, was published in 2020 during the pandemic. I would say the publication did not outwardly change my life. At the time I had also started a low-residency MFA at Antioch University, LA so I was very much focused on that. However, I did register it as a private win. Having a small book of poems in print, one that I could hold physically, felt like the accomplishment of a dream.

My most recent work, Her Mouth a Palace of Lamps, which is my debut full-length poetry collection feels like a more complete expression of the work I had begun with my chapbook. I have learned a lot with the publication of this book — arranging a full-length collection is no easy task and it required multiple iterations until I was satisfied. I attended a publicity incubator in 2025 for debut authors, conducted by Poets & Writers. The program taught me that book publicity is a necessary step of publication — as important as proofing or cover design. Also, I learned that the publication and publicity paths can be very different for each poet depending on their preferences and circumstances and that there is no one way for a book to live in the world.

2 - How did you come to poetry first, as opposed to, say, fiction or non-fiction?

I first started by writing short, flash personal essays and wrote a couple of short stories but realized very soon that my stories lacked plot and I was more interested in capturing moments and emotion, especially the negative space occupied by the unsaid. Imagery felt important to me as a means to convey deep emotion. I was drawn to the compressed nature of poems. A poem puts language under pressure, and I felt I could say more in very few words.

3 - How long does it take to start any particular writing project? Does your writing initially come quickly, or is it a slow process? Do first drafts appear looking close to their final shape, or does your work come out of copious notes?

I’m a slow thinker and writer. It takes me time to find the shape of poems and projects. This can be frustrating and scary, because not knowing where I’m going with the work is difficult. I am learning to be patient and to follow the different threads that may be pulling on me at any given time. I am learning to have faith that the threads will weave together eventually, and I will have clarity. I don’t make copious notes, but I tinker with the poems for months on and off until I’m satisfied. I tend to write over my poems when I revise and keep very few versions.

4 - Where does a poem usually begin for you? Are you an author of short pieces that end up combining into a larger project, or are you working on a "book" from the very beginning?

A poem usually begins for me in a state of uneasiness or curiosity, and I start with a question in my mind. I circle around the question, and sometimes research and dig deeper. It’s not necessary that the question is answered by the end of the poem but unless I feel that I have made a discovery of some sort in the writing of it, the poem is not a keeper. I write about whatever’s on my mind on a particular day. By some magic, the poems coalesce towards some common themes.

5 - Are public readings part of or counter to your creative process? Are you the sort of writer who enjoys doing readings?

Poems come alive when read aloud, especially by their authors. I love reading in community with other poets and enjoy the shared energy of readers and audience. Being in community and sharing space with poets and artists makes me feel that I am part of something bigger than myself and brings me so much joy!

6 - Do you have any theoretical concerns behind your writing? What kinds of questions are you trying to answer with your work? What do you even think the current questions are?

I’m always concerned by craft aspects of poetry, in particular, formal aspects of the poem. I feel I have a lot to learn about the subtle aspects of form, meter, and grammar that undergirds the poem. At present, my thematic concerns are about aging, the failures of the body and spirit, the beauty contained in those very failures, and the compassion they deserve. I feel that much of society undervalues older people and sees them as irrelevant to society and I am concerned with creating a framework of living and viewing myself as a relevant, contributing member of my communities no matter what age I am. The biggest current question that I see around me is how to live in relationships of mutual care with oneself, the people around us, the earth and all its living creatures.

7 – What do you see the current role of the writer being in larger culture? Do they even have one? What do you think the role of the writer should be?

I see the role of the writer as an agent who offers and/or analyzes ideas that are important to the culture or society in which they live. A writer is an observer or witness but also one who dares to express an opinion, which might lead to desired changes in the ways we think and live. I think the role of the writer should be one of influencer or at the very least, a source of ideas and productive discussion.

8 - Do you find the process of working with an outside editor difficult or essential (or both)?

An outside editor was essential for me in putting together my collections. Being more removed from the details and less emotionally vested in it, they gave me a better sense of the overall shape of the collection. They identified which poems did not fit and where gaps existed in the arc of the narrative. They also offered feedback at the line level. Sometimes the feedback can be difficult to hear, but I am grateful to editors. They almost always make my collections better.

9 - What is the best piece of advice you've heard (not necessarily given to you directly)?

Pay attention, be slow, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

10 - What kind of writing routine do you tend to keep, or do you even have one? How does a typical day (for you) begin?

A typical day begins for me, at 6 am. I pack lunch for my son, and when he leaves for school, I briefly look at my emails and try very hard (not always successfully) to stay away from my phone and social media. Depending on my mood, I either practice meditative breathing for about 20 minutes or I read —usually poetry or non-fiction. After reading, I turn to my current work. It could be a poem I’m writing or one I’m translating, or editing, or simply a journal entry. During the day, I don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to writing because I take care of the home and my 85-year-old mother who lives with us. I try to fit in a walk or go to the gym. Writing takes place in the early part of the day or late in the evening.

11 - When your writing gets stalled, where do you turn or return for (for lack of a better word) inspiration?

When I feel stalled, I usually call a poet friend and try to talk through the difficulties. I also turn to reading poems or prose that inspires and makes me want to write. I copy phrases and passages that speak to me into my notebooks and explore those concerns in my own writing. Sometimes I take a break from my desk and visit a local museum for inspiration. I’m lucky that I live close to Princeton University, with a newly opened art museum and plenty of pop-up art. Another favorite escape is the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ, an outdoor sculpture museum and gardens.

12 - What fragrance reminds you of home?

The scents of cooking— dal and spices remind me of India and the home where I grew up.

13 - David W. McFadden once said that books come from books, but are there any other forms that influence your work, whether nature, music, science or visual art?

All of these are influences for my work. When I’m feeling out of inspiration, I take myself on an artist date to a nearby art museum. Ekphrasis or responding in writing to art is the easiest way to break out of a writing block. Walking outdoors is an important part of my daily rituals. I especially love walking to a marsh behind my neighborhood and listening for birds and frogs there. Even though I walk the same paths every day, there is always something new to observe and feel astonished by. I feel that science and poetry are closely related in that they investigate the mysteries of the world--- both are fueled by curiosity and wonder, both are capable of invoking awe. The writings of Carl Sagan, Robert Macfarlane, and Diane Ackerman are a few popular science writers who have inspired me.

14 - What other writers or writings are important for your work, or simply your life outside of your work?

I read widely, wherever my curiosity takes me. While I’m constantly reading poetry written by friends and contemporaries, these days I’m leaning more towards non-fiction. At present, I’m reading Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane that studies three river systems in different parts of the world to seek an answer to that question. I’m also reading The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters by Priya Parker.

15 - What would you like to do that you haven't yet done?

I would like to travel more, especially exploring history, art, and artists in my home country of India. I would also like to learn visual art, astronomy, and singing Indian classical music.

16 - If you could pick any other occupation to attempt, what would it be? Or, alternately, what do you think you would have ended up doing had you not been a writer?

Before I was a writer, I designed and developed software for investment banking. I was very good at that work but it’s not something I want to go back to. If I could do anything, I would love to study astrophysics and research the origins of the universe.

17 - What made you write, as opposed to doing something else?

I’ve always enjoyed the way books and stories have the power to transport me to extraordinary places. I suppose I wanted to create stories that could do the same for myself and others. I love playing with language and its subtle arrangements. I grew up in India surrounded by multiple languages and regional accents. The sounds and movements of language in play are fascinating to me.   

18 - What was the last great book you read? What was the last great film?

Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age by Katherine May. I loved this book about anxiety, gathering attention, and hierophany in a world where our attention is increasingly fragmented. The last great film I saw is a Bollywood film from 1975 called “Mausam” (which translates to “Season”). A musical with poetry for song lyrics, it is an inter-generational story of the way shame can be a barrier to giving and receiving romantic, filial, and platonic love.

19 - What are you currently working on?

I am translating poems by award-winning poet Kirti Kesar from the Hindi language into English. Her poems have a strong bend towards social justice and draw on Indian epics to comment on the Indian political situation of the 1990s to early 2000s, which I find fascinating and challenging to translate.

12 or 20 (second series) questions;

12 or 20 (second series) questions with Joshua Nguyen

Joshua Nguyen is the author of Come Clean (University of Wisconsin Press), winner of the 2021 Felix Pollak Prize in Poetry and the chapbook, American Lục Bát for My Mother (Bull City Press, 2021). He is a Vietnamese-American writer, a collegiate national poetry slam champion (CUPSI), and a native Houstonian. He has received fellowships from Kundiman, Tin House, Sundress Academy For The Arts, and the Vermont Studio Center. He has been published in The Offing, Wildness, The Texas Review, Auburn Avenue, and elsewhere. He has also been featured on both the VS podcast and The Slowdown. He is a bubble tea connoisseur and loves a good pun. He is a PhD student at The University of Mississippi, where he also received his MFA.

1 - How did your first book or chapbook change your life? How does your most recent work compare to your previous? How does it feel different?
There are more things to think about and to juggle. A lot more emails. A lot more things to schedule. It’s a lot of extra work when your first book comes out when you don’t have a booking agent or literary agent. I had to create my own promotional materials, I had to schedule all my readings, I had to make sure bookstores hold my books, and I also had to edit proofs.

Because I am still in school, in a creative writing PhD program, the book stuff feels like a reprieve from the stress of school. I am glad that my book tour is all during the winter break— I was able to focus on my schoolwork during the fall semester, and then during the winter break, I can stay present with my book and the people I am reading with.

It does bring me a lot of happiness when I see people holding my book. For a while, it didn’t feel real. Now, it feels as real as ever with the physical object of the book in the world. I’m not nervous about what people will say about it, I am more nervous about what they don’t say. I want to know the poems that people like and don't like! That’s probably because I cringe at positive reinforcement— ask all my friends, they know it’s hard for me to take a compliment.

2 - How did you come to poetry first, as opposed to, say, fiction or non-fiction?
I actually fell in love with short stories first. It was Flannery O’ Connor and Poe. But I came to love poetry when I tried out for the Houston Youth Poetry Team called Meta-Four Houston. Writing workshops and practices were held at the Houston Downtown Library and I had to compete to get on the team— they were taking the top 6 of the competition. I actually got 8th place first, but then someone actually got a time penalty, and another person couldn’t do the time commitment, so I got the final 6th spot! This was when I was 14 years old— and I have been writing poetry ever since.

3 - How long does it take to start any particular writing project? Does your writing initially come quickly, or is it a slow process? Do first drafts appear looking close to their final shape, or does your work come out of copious notes?
Because of being in consistent writing workshops, three - four days a week, during my high school summer years— I can churn out a poem (though it’s a bad draft) in 5 minutes or less. The editing process takes me a while. Editing and revising can take me like 2 weeks.

Typically, I come up with loads of ideas for poems for a particular project, and put them in one note on my phone. I spend half of the year coming up with ideas and projects. Then I’ll usually spend two months (the summer or winter break) writing first drafts of these poems. Then I spend any free time I have editing the project up until it gets picked up somewhere.

4 - Where does a poem usually begin for you? Are you an author of short pieces that end up combining into a larger project, or are you working on a "book" from the very beginning?
I like starting with the project first because it funnels my pen. I work best with constraint— which is why I tend to turn to form. The idea of the project works as a form so that I can stay focused and not go everywhere.

5 - Are public readings part of or counter to your creative process? Are you the sort of writer who enjoys doing readings?
I love readings! Open mics are instant editing workshops. If you read your poem allowed, you’ll hear things you don’t like. You can also gauge the audience and see which parts of the poem they respond to.

6 - Do you have any theoretical concerns behind your writing? What kinds of questions are you trying to answer with your work? What do you even think the current questions are?
I’m invested in caesura. In my book, Come Clean, I use the enclosed bracket throughout the book as a caesura, as acrots (acot?), and as place-markers. I’m fascinated by it because it can be seen as something as an aside, but what if the aside is what’s trying to be unhidden? I also think you can show breath with your caesuras and enjambments, but what happens if you enclose the breath?

7 – What do you see the current role of the writer being in larger culture? Do they even have one? What do you think the role of the writer should be?
The writer, if they choose so, can be a voice in trying to express the inexpressible. At best, they can unlock something in a reader— that something can be emotional, mental, or physical.

8 - Do you find the process of working with an outside editor difficult or essential (or both)?
I think it’s essential— as long as you find an editor that you mesh with.

9 - What is the best piece of advice you've heard (not necessarily given to you directly)?
My dad always taught me to be content yet always be ambitious. He taught me to be grateful for where I am at and what I have in the present, but to not be afraid to want more.

10 - How easy has it been for you to move between genres (text to more performance-driven work)? What do you see as the appeal?
I think I went the opposite route. I went from performance-driven work to text. But either way, I think it shouldn’t matter. A good poem should be good while read on the page. And that same poem should be good if read on a stage.

11 - What kind of writing routine do you tend to keep, or do you even have one? How does a typical day (for you) begin?
I don’t have a particular routine. Which is why I got an MFA and why I am in a creative writing PhD program. The fact that I have to write poems for workshop, and eventually for a dissertation, requires me to learn to create a writing routine. I have a writing pattern for the year (refer to question #3).

12 - When your writing gets stalled, where do you turn or return for (for lack of a better word) inspiration?
I read read read. Sometimes I’ll pick up a book, and then not be able to finish it, because something in the book inspires me to write. I also like watching movie analysis videos on YouTube.

13 - What fragrance reminds you of home?
Probably the smell of white rice and coffee.

14 - David W. McFadden once said that books come from books, but are there any other forms that influence your work, whether nature, music, science or visual art?
Music and music videos help me get weird in my writing. If you open up Come Clean, you’ll see that Mitski is a huge influence on that book. When I was writing a lot of these poems, Mitski was the soundtrack for a lot of the sadness I was feeling. I am such a huge fan. When I first saw her in concert, I teared up when she slowly walked out onto the stage. I bought the rights to use lyrics from one of her songs (“Last Words of a Shooting Star”) for Come Clean.

15 - What other writers or writings are important for your work, or simply your life outside of your work?
I am indebted to all the writers who are, or have been, a mentor to me. I think Patricia Smith is always in the top 5 for me. Blood Dazzler is a big one I turn to often when I want to study how to put together an entire book. I also look to that book when thinking about persona. I turn to Duy Doan’s We Play a Game because it delightfully plays with both the English language and the Vietnamese language.

16 - What would you like to do that you haven't yet done?
I would like to visit Austria. I would also love to work in a writers room. I would be good for a sitcom or animated series where wordplay is part of the humor.

17 - If you could pick any other occupation to attempt, what would it be? Or, alternately, what do you think you would have ended up doing had you not been a writer?
I could’ve been a dentist. I was on track to be a dentist up until 2016. I did a biochemistry degree in undergrad, I studied for the DAT (Dental Admissions Test), submitted to multiple dental schools, and then got one dental school interview.

18 - What made you write, as opposed to doing something else?
I guess this could continue on from question 17. After I got that first dental school interview, I had a gut feeling that it wasn’t the right path. I didn’t feel joy. I went to Waffle House with my best friend, Tony, and I asked him what he learned in undergrad. He said, “Do not lie to yourself.” At the same time, I was listening to Mitski’s song, “Because Dreaming Costs Money, My Dear”, which has this idea of following your dreams even though it might hurt.

And the third thing that happened all within the same time, was that my friend, Julian Randall, posted on Facebook about the University of Mississippi MFA program. I reached out to ask him questions about it and then I applied. I had two weeks. I drove to Dallas to hunker down at my friend's apartment, worked on my personal statement and my writing sample, and then I got in.

19 - What was the last great book you read? What was the last great film?
Last great book — Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward blew me away, made me tear up.

Last great film — Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was gorgeous. I also loved Jojo Rabbit.

20 - What are you currently working on?
I have two poetry projects that I am working on. One incorporates asexuality studies and the other is a love letter to Houston’s perseverance.

I have a short story collection that I am editing and submitting to contests soon.

I have a novel that I want to publish in the future and a collection of essays about the Asian-American experience.

12 or 20 (second series) questions;