Why I Love Reading Anthologies
(and appearing in them)
Anthologies have always reminded me of mixtapes—carefully curated collections where each voice adds something unique to the whole. I like how they make space for discovery. You turn a page and find someone you’ve never read before, someone whose work you didn’t know you needed.
I’ve been fortunate to be included in a few that showcase this kind of creative exchange. I appreciate these opportunities because they’ve given me space to branch out—alongside poetry, I love writing essays and short stories, and these collections allowed me to explore those forms more fully.
One of the best parts of being in anthologies is that sometimes you realize a fellow contributor lives nearby. You end up meeting IRL and reading together at a local bookstore or sitting together on a literary panel; eventually, those shared pages turn into real friendships. There’s something super special about that.
[Dis]Connected: Poems & Stories of Connection and Otherwise, Volume 2
Published by Central Avenue Publishing
[Dis]Connected: Poems & Stories of Connection and Otherwise, Volume 2 is a collaborative project where poets passed their work along to fellow writers, who then wrote pieces inspired by the previous writer’s theme. It became this chain of interpretation and response, a reminder of how art speaks to art. My piece in this one is titled “The Fourth Saturday” and centers on the fourth Saturday since the teenage narrator’s identical twin sister died of an overdose.
New Jersey Fan Club: Artists and Writers Celebrate the Garden State
Published by Rutgers University Press, Edited by Kerri Sullivan
New Jersey Fan Club: Artists and Writers Celebrate the Garden State is another great one, and I am honored to be a part of it. It is full of poetry, essays, and visual art honoring the often-overlooked beauty and grit of my home state, New Jersey. For those of us who call it home, it’s a grounding, heartfelt read. And for those who don’t, it offers a glimpse into the misunderstood heartbeat of this place. My essay in this one is called “Why I Left.”
By the Way: this anthology was the brainchild of my dear friend Kerri Sullivan. She also founded Jersey Collective and recently launched the NJ Bookstore Crawl, which has EXPLODED in popularity! It runs June 7-8. I'm so proud of her.
The Central Avenue Poetry Prize collections
Published by Central Avenue Publishing, Edited by Beau Adler
The Central Avenue Poetry Prize collections (2024 and the 2025 editions) gather work from poets all over the world. I love how these books highlight emerging and established voices side by side. Every time I open them, I find a line that stays with me. The shortlisted poems of mine in these books include: Missed Calls and Heroin and Hero's Death (2024 edition); Root Resorption and Goodbye Has a Sound (2025 edition).
If you’re looking for a way to read more widely, anthologies are a great starting point. They introduce you to whole communities of humans (not AI) doing bold, thoughtful work.
PS. I am currently reading The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry.