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By Any Measure

By Any Measure

No art unconsidered

Poet Leslie Sainz

April 25, 2024 by Josephine Reed Leave a Comment

We’re celebrating National Poetry Month with 2021 NEA Literature Fellow and poet Leslie Sainz who discusses her debut poetry collection, “Have You Been Long Enough at Table.”  Sainz reads from her collection and talks about its major themes including the ambiguity, displacement, and impact of cultural heritage as a daughter of Cuban immigrants. She discusses the variety of poetic forms used in her collection, allowing form to be guided by the emotional and thematic demands of her work. Sainz also talks about the impact of receiving a 2021 NEA Literature Fellowship for Poetry on her career and the validation it provided and offers advice to other poets and writers, especially regarding the NEA fellowship application process. Sainz  also discusses her involvement as a judge in the NEA’s Poetry Out Loud competition and  shares her experiences from organizing regional competitions to judging the national semifinals and her appreciation for the performative and memorization components that enhance both the understanding and the emotional experience of poetry.  She also gives us a glimpse into her upcoming project, tentatively titled “I Believe in Evil and Evil Believes in You,” exploring new thematic territories and expanding her creative boundaries.  And, on April 17,  the day after our conversation, Leslie Sainz’s collection , “Have You Been Long Enough at Table” was awarded the 2024 Audre Lorde Award for Lesbian Poetry!

For a transcript, click here

Filed Under: HIspanic Heritage Month, Uncategorized

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About Sunil and Josephine

Sunil Iyengar directs the Office of Research & Analysis at the National Endowment for the Arts. Under his leadership, the office has produced dozens of research reports, hosted periodic research events and webinars, led strategic plan development for the agency, and established research and … [more] about About Sunil and Josephine

By Any Measure

Aesthetics meets analysis in a monthly series of podcasts and blog posts from the National Endowment for the Arts.  Once upon a time, writers and artists were skeptical—if not morbid—about the application of science to questions of natural beauty, aesthetics, and arts and culture. Think of … [more] about By Any Measure

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