If you’ve been following anything I do, especially the year-round free programming of 1455, you already know Holly, because she is one of my favorite people and someone to whom I always take the opportunity to speak with: speaking with her on any topic is always enlightening and inspiring, and the primary purpose of today’s conversation is celebrating her forthcoming poetry collection, and comparing notes on the state of higher education. Holly brings informed opinions based on decades of classroom experience, and she has only become more committed to effective teaching. In a profession that breeds burnout and cynicism like few others, Holly is entirely dedicated to reaching each new crop of undergrads, all of whom bring their own personal and cultural baggage, and molding not only better minds, but better human beings.
Holly is a huge advocate not only for her students, but writers of all types—and she, like myself, has a soft spot for young writers. As we come down the homestretch until the publication of 1455’s Young Poets Anthology, I wanted to revisit my most recent conversation with Holly. Some excerpts, below, followed by the complete conversation (and some links to our other conversations!)
About Holly Karapetkova
Holly is Poet Laureate Emerita of Arlington County and the recipient of a 2022 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship. She is the author of two books of poetry, Words We Might One Day Say, winner of the 2010 Washington Writers’ Publishing House Poetry Award, and Towline, winner of the 2016 Vern Rutsala Poetry Contest from Cloudbank Books. Her third book, Dear Empire, was recently selected as co-winner of the 2024 Barry Spacks Poetry Prize and is forthcoming from Gunpowder Press. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a PhD in English and Comparative Literature and teaches at Marymount University in Arlington, VA. Learn more about Holly’s work at karapetkova.com