Unlock the secrets to a prolific writing life with Chicago-based poet Shontay Luna. In this episode, we tackle the "100 rejections per year" strategy, exploring how reframing failure can actually accelerate your path to publication and artistic growth.

Shontay Luna is a Chicago-based writer and member of the Tall Grass Writers Guild and Flow. She has authored four chapbooks—including Reflections of a Project Girl and The Goddess Journal—and has been featured in publications ranging from Parnassus to Canyon Voices.

Discover how treating rejection as a target rather than a setback can transform your submission habits and build your resilience. We also dive into the unexpected creative benefits of writing fanfiction and the "cheap therapy" of daily drafting, providing a roadmap for overcoming writer's block and staying consistently productive.

❓❓❓ Shontay mentions the quote that "a nonwriting writer is a monster courting insanity" and speaks about the discipline required to maintain a daily submission habit. How do you fit writing into your life when things get busy? Do you have a "non-negotiable" routine, or do you write in bursts? Share your experience with us on social media. Links below!

SUPPORT THE CHANNEL

💸 Keep Paper Knives & the Poetry Movement going with a donation: https://givebutter.com/support-paper-knives-interviews

📖 Subscribe & Submit to our Free Email Mag: https://thepoetrymovement.org/paper-knives

👀 Check out our affiliate links below timestamps & show notes 👇

⏰ TIMESTAMPS

03:00 Opening Poem: "I saw a black guy running"

11:16 The Craft of Revision: Why 90% of writing is rewriting

25:00 The "100 Rejections" Strategy: How to handle submissions

28:00 Fanfiction as a Creative Tool

41:20 Chicago Poetry Community: Resources for local writers

53:30 Advice for Aspiring & Experienced Poets

56:30 Closing Poem: "Golden Shovel for Langston Hughes number two"

🔍 TRANSPARENCY & DISCLOSURE

Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you make a purchase or sign up through these links, our nonprofit may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend resources we genuinely value. Your support through these links helps fund our mission and allows us to continue producing this podcast. Thank you!

🔗 LINKS TO BOOKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO

IG: @shontay_luna

X: @shontayluna @shontay_luna

Reflections & Dreams: https://www.amazon.com/Recollections-Dreams-Shontay-C-Luna/dp/172271090X/

To James & Sarah with Love: Poetry Based on Slang of the 1920s-1940s: https://www.amazon.com/James-Sarah-Love-Poetry-through-ebook/dp/B08YP5K89N/

Goddess Journal: https://www.amazon.com/Goddess-Journal-Unlocking-Greatness-Within/dp/B0BF4DRCP3/

Tall Grass Writers Guild: https://www.tallgrasswriters.org/

Flow (For the Love of Writing): https://flowpoetry.org/

Pilsen Arts and Community House (PATCH): https://pilsenartscommunityhouse.org/

• • Subscribe & Submit to our Free Email Mag: https://thepoetrymovement.org/paper-knives

💸 Support / Donate: https://givebutter.com/support-paper-knives-interviews

🤝 Connect with Us!

Web: https://thepoetrymovement.org

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@paper_knives_poetry

Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.poetry.movement

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Poetry-Movement-61563800433322/

Bridging the gap between personal trauma and the written page can feel overwhelming. In this episode, Racine-based poet Debra Hall shares her regimented writing routine, as well as how she's processed trauma. She is the author of the debut chapbook, What the Current Cannot Swallow (2026), and currently serves as the president of the Kenosha-Racine Poet Laureate committee. Hall is an advocate for the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets and serves as the chair of the Kenosha-Racine Poets Laureate committee.

In this interview, she describes her rigorous writing practice. She discusses how her poetry has served as as a therapeutic tool, applying metaphors to navigate grief and trauma as she developed the emotional resilience. This conversation offers a look at how metaphors can help us navigate challenging emotional landscapes.

She mentioned a book that she couldn't remember the name of: The Crafty Poet: A Portable Workshop by Diane Lockward. We've linked it below in the Resources section.

Debra shared her '7-minute meditation + two part free-write routine. Do you structure your writing routine? to describe your current writing practice (or the one you wish you had), what would it be? Let us know below!

Support the Channel

💸 Keep Paper Knives & the Poetry Movement going with a donation: https://givebutter.com/support-paper-knives-interviews

👀 Check out our affiliate links below timestamps & show notes 👇

⏰ Timestamps

00:00 – Intro: Guest Background & What the Current Cannot Swallow

01:21 – Reading: "The Orange Weight of Wings"

06:02 – The 7-Minute Meditation & 10-Minute Cold Prompt Routine

09:51 – Editing & Submissions: Advice for Emerging Writers

25:45 – Metaphor as a Cognitive Tool & Influences (Nick Flynn)

31:50 – Regional Leadership: The Kenosha-Racine Poet Laureate Committee

43:50 – Writing as a Tool for Grief & The "Callus Metaphor"

🔍 Transparency & Disclosure

Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you make a purchase or sign up through these links, our nonprofit may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend resources we genuinely value, or which our guests have referenced. Your support through these links helps fund our mission and allows us to continue producing this podcast. Thank you!

🔗 Links to Books & Resources Mentioned in this Episode

Debra’s website: https://www.poetdebra.com

What the Current Cannot Swallow by Debra Hall (Debut Chapbook): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G4HQJ5CH?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

The Crafty Poet: A Portable Workshop by Diane Lockward: https://www.terrapinbooks.com/the-crafty-poet-a-portable-workshop.html

Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff: https://www.amazon.com/Metaphors-We-Live-George-Lakoff/dp/0226468011

Eros the Bittersweet by Anne Carson: https://www.amazon.com/Eros-Bittersweet-Essay-Princeton-Classics/dp/0691250626

Kenosha-Racine Poets Laureate: https://krpoets.weebly.com/about.html

Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets: https://www.wfop.org/

Shake Rag Alley (Mineral Point, WI): https://shakeragalley.org/

This conversation with former Madison Poet Laureate Angie Trudell Vasquez explores the unique creative landscape of the Midwest. Considering the power of land stewardship in eco-poetics, this episode uncovers how regional identity shapes art and why writers must prioritize connecting with humanity over chasing external acclaim, encouraging all of us to take a creative role in our community.

Angela talks about the practical realities of a literary life and how to balance demanding professional obligations with a disciplined, edited writing practice. She shares her insights on the vital importance of "literary citizenship" in showing up for other writers, and she offers advice on staying vulnerable and allowing your work to "fail" in public as part of the creative process. She talks about how to develop a long-term relationship with your writing. 

🙋Let us know: Angie shared how attending open mics was key to building her creative network. What local event, group, or venue in your area has helped you feel part of your poetic community?

• • Join Our Email List: https://thepoetrymovement.org/paper-knives

💸Support / Donate: https://givebutter.com/support-paper-knives-interviews 

⏰ Timestamps

• 00:00 – Intro: Career Highlights & Poetic Background
• 06:29 – "What in That?": Poem Reading & Inspiration
• 12:02 – From Organic to Disciplined: Evolving Your Writing Practice
• 18:08 – The Midwest Identity: Eco-Poetics & Land Stewardship
• 32:40 – Literary Citizenship: The Essential Power of Open Mics
• 39:40 – Persistence: Balancing Career, Family, and Craft
• 52:00 – Closing Advice & "The Land Speaks" Reading

🔗 Links & resources

Web: https://thepoetrymovement.org 

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@paper_knives_poetry 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.poetry.movement 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Poetry-Movement-61563800433322/ 

📣 Mentioned in this episode: 

Angela’s Website: https://angietrudellvasquez.com/about/ 

Books by Angela Trudell Vasquez: In Light, Always Light, My People Redux  

Venues/Organizations: ArtLitLab (Madison, WI), Woodland Pattern (Milwaukee, WI), The Poetry Foundation (Chicago, IL), Printers Row Book Fair (Chicago, IL), Macondo Writers Workshop (Founded by Sandra Cisneros), Art Night Books (Independent press founded by Vasquez)

Influences & Mentors: Caroline Forche, Stanley Kunitz, Allen Ginsberg, Joy Harjo, Sherwin Bitsui, Ada Limon.