Thinking about recording a video reading one of my poems. Curious, what would you want to hear me read?

Select Publications

POEMS Apparent, Southern Humanities Review, Volume 57 No. 4 – in print edition Villanelle Origin Story published in Novus Literary’s 5th Anniversary Digital Edition World Trade the Past…

nisinson.wordpress.com

5 books for this summer: 1. Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers - Frank X. Walker 2. The Legend of Auntie Po - Shing Yin Khor 3. The Last of the Wine - Mary Renault 4. Another Day of Life - Ryszard Kapuscinski, translation: William Brand and Katarzyna Mroczkowska-Brand 5. Oreo - Fran Ross

Matthew Nisinson@mnisinson.bsky.social · 4w ago

I love curated lists of book recommendations, but the purported purposes of the lists can be irritating. I don’t think there’s any such thing as a “must read” to be well read, for the summer, to understand the present situation, to appreciate 250 years of US history, etc. but there can be a vibe.

I love curated lists of book recommendations, but the purported purposes of the lists can be irritating. I don’t think there’s any such thing as a “must read” to be well read, for the summer, to understand the present situation, to appreciate 250 years of US history, etc. but there can be a vibe.

A friend gave me a copy of Sharon Olds’ Balladz. It’s my first time reading Olds and I’m really enjoying her work. This morning, this poem, New Year’s Song, really struck me – a beautiful sense of frailty and renewal and gratitude to carry one into the future.

I got curious and picked up a bottle of Da’Bomb hot sauce. I had a theory, because I find theHot Ones’ Last Dab sauces to be pleasantly hot, that Da’Bomb might be hotter than them, but slower to build. It’s not, and the overpowering aftertaste of mint is REALLY off putting.

Really appreciate the thoughtful messages from folks about publishing. You can find links to a few of my published Catullus 85 poems, and a short interview, on my website. nisinson.wordpress.com/2024/02/25/s... Any favorite nontraditional translations? I love hearing about what others are doing!

Select Publications

POEMS Apparent, Southern Humanities Review, Volume 57 No. 4 – in print edition Villanelle Origin Story published in Novus Literary’s 5th Anniversary Digital Edition World Trade the Past…

nisinson.wordpress.com

Matthew Nisinson@mnisinson.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Hey poetry bluesky, I’ve been querying my manuscript exploding Catullus 85 into 85 different translation variations for a little while now. Any tips for publishers (or agents?) that might be interested in a less traditional translation project?

With a little help from his Sinners co-star Miles Caton, the near-nonagenarian legend gives the Tiny Desk a history lesson in the blues. n.pr/4tPjN7o

Buddy Guy: Tiny Desk Concert

With a little help from his Sinners co-star Miles Caton, the near-nonagenarian legend gives the Tiny Desk a history lesson in the blues.

n.pr

Hey poetry bluesky, I’ve been querying my manuscript exploding Catullus 85 into 85 different translation variations for a little while now. Any tips for publishers (or agents?) that might be interested in a less traditional translation project?

And why is it that the people who do this often seem to be the first to tell you how empathetic they are?

Matthew Cortland (they)@matthewcort.land · 6mo ago

there are a lot of people — to me, a truly shocking number of human beings — who absolutely will tell the mom of a disabled kid things so horrible i shouldn't even repeat specifics; but generally things like 'you should've killed her' things that just shock the conscience 🧵

I have made some changes to my regular format with my monthly round-up for January, now up on my blog. Aiming for more of a long form synthesis of a more focused selection of poems and other works. Let me know what you think! nisinson.wordpress.com/2026/02/05/j...

January 2026 Round-Up

In my November 2025 Round-Up I talked about revising the format of these monthly round-ups, and I’m kicking that off with this January round-up. The bulleted lists of links, even with my brief resp…

nisinson.wordpress.com

Immensely honored to have my Catullus 85 translations nominated by @haydensferryreview.bsky.social !!

Hayden's Ferry Review@haydensferryreview.bsky.social · 6mo ago

We’re so happy to share our Translation Anthology Nominations. These poems hold so many worlds—history, intimacy, argument, music—and each one comes to us through the attentive work of a translator. Please take your time with the names on these slides: they’re part of the poem’s story.

I have made some changes to my regular format with my monthly round-up for January, now up on my blog. Aiming for more of a long form synthesis of a more focused selection of poems and other works. Let me know what you think! nisinson.wordpress.com/2026/02/05/j...

January 2026 Round-Up

In my November 2025 Round-Up I talked about revising the format of these monthly round-ups, and I’m kicking that off with this January round-up. The bulleted lists of links, even with my brief resp…

nisinson.wordpress.com

Immensely honored to have my Catullus 85 translations nominated by @haydensferryreview.bsky.social !!

Hayden's Ferry Review@haydensferryreview.bsky.social · 6mo ago

We’re so happy to share our Translation Anthology Nominations. These poems hold so many worlds—history, intimacy, argument, music—and each one comes to us through the attentive work of a translator. Please take your time with the names on these slides: they’re part of the poem’s story.

Poetry folks, can you recommend me some good essays/criticism about the works of Claude McKay?

My review of Mary Jo Bang’s translation of Paradiso is up now @therumpus.net !!! Check it out!

The Rumpus@therumpus.net · 9mo ago

“Bang’s translation honors Dante’s goal to support a broad readership, while her detailed notes convey the depth of scholarship and understanding that position her to do so.” Matthew Nisinson (@mnisinson.bsky.social) reviews Mary Jo Bang's translation of Dante's Paradiso. ➡️ buff.ly/De6vEvk

“Bang’s translation honors Dante’s goal to support a broad readership, while her detailed notes convey the depth of scholarship and understanding that position her to do so.” Matthew Nisinson (@mnisinson.bsky.social) reviews Mary Jo Bang's translation of Dante's Paradiso. ➡️ buff.ly/De6vEvk

My review of Mary Jo Bang’s translation of Paradiso is up now @therumpus.net !!! Check it out!

The Rumpus@therumpus.net · 9mo ago

“Bang’s translation honors Dante’s goal to support a broad readership, while her detailed notes convey the depth of scholarship and understanding that position her to do so.” Matthew Nisinson (@mnisinson.bsky.social) reviews Mary Jo Bang's translation of Dante's Paradiso. ➡️ buff.ly/De6vEvk

My October Round-Up is a little late but finally up on my blog. It’s got poetry, translation, art, and some music. I’ve included brief thoughts on each work. Let me know your favorites and if anything I shared makes you think of something else I should read.

October 2025 Round-Up

This Round-Up has been sitting in a half-finished limbo for the past two weeks, my apologies for the delay. Looking back at last year, there seems to be something about October/November that makes …

nisinson.wordpress.com

My September post is up on the blog. It was a weird September, with a lot to think about. A lot of great poetry, art and thinking from some brilliant people, paired with some of my humble thoughts. Also a good photo of my cat. What art stood out to you in September?

September 2025 Round-Up

September has been a month of contemplation and recharge for me, I made significant headway on a number of books that I’ve been reading more slowly over the course of the year, as I try to balance …

nisinson.wordpress.com

My September post is up on the blog. It was a weird September, with a lot to think about. A lot of great poetry, art and thinking from some brilliant people, paired with some of my humble thoughts. Also a good photo of my cat. What art stood out to you in September?

September 2025 Round-Up

September has been a month of contemplation and recharge for me, I made significant headway on a number of books that I’ve been reading more slowly over the course of the year, as I try to balance …

nisinson.wordpress.com

August 2025 Round-Up is finally live on my blog! Check it out for links to great poems and art that I read in August. Let me know if you have recommendations for me, too!

August 2025 Round-Up

Photo by Matthew Nisinson Once again, summer is almost over as we head into September and a new school year. This is the time of year I often find myself thinking about how endless summer felt to m…

nisinson.wordpress.com

August 2025 Round-Up is finally live on my blog! Check it out for links to great poems and art that I read in August. Let me know if you have recommendations for me, too!

August 2025 Round-Up

Photo by Matthew Nisinson Once again, summer is almost over as we head into September and a new school year. This is the time of year I often find myself thinking about how endless summer felt to m…

nisinson.wordpress.com

I just attended this fantastic panel on the politics of translation @brooklyninstitute.bsky.social . Really great listening to @emilyrcwilson.bsky.social Lynn Kozak and James Redfield discuss their approaches to translation with Lauren K. Wolfe! www.youtube.com/live/Rdr1KLz...

The Politics of Translation

YouTube video by The Brooklyn Institute for Social Research

youtube.com

Recommend me some reads for what summer remains!

Matthew Nisinson@mnisinson.bsky.social · last yr.

My round-up for July is up on my blog, a lot of great poetry, writing and art that I recommend, with some extended thoughts about much of it, particularly translation. Would love to hear what art has moved you lately, let me know! nisinson.wordpress.com/2025/08/03/j...

Great thread with a strong applicability to literature considered to be part of any canon, not just SFF. Also, these books are there to inform YOUR individual taste. As a reader, you’ll grow a personal canon, evolving over time. That’s good, don’t let others tell you who you must be.

Ann Leckie@annleckie.com · 12mo ago

This is absolutely true. It is also true, IMO, that once something is sufficiently entrenched as a "classic" its quality becomes a moot point, not actually relevant. It is so much a part of the literary context that ideas about

My round-up for July is up on my blog, a lot of great poetry, writing and art that I recommend, with some extended thoughts about much of it, particularly translation. Would love to hear what art has moved you lately, let me know! nisinson.wordpress.com/2025/08/03/j...

July 2025 Round-Up

Photo by Matthew Nisinson I find myself looking back on a pretty productive first half of July, with a lot of family stuff, from the perspective of the tedious ill-health that characterized the sec…

nisinson.wordpress.com

My round-up for July is up on my blog, a lot of great poetry, writing and art that I recommend, with some extended thoughts about much of it, particularly translation. Would love to hear what art has moved you lately, let me know! nisinson.wordpress.com/2025/08/03/j...

July 2025 Round-Up

Photo by Matthew Nisinson I find myself looking back on a pretty productive first half of July, with a lot of family stuff, from the perspective of the tedious ill-health that characterized the sec…

nisinson.wordpress.com

My wife surprised me with a copy of @aestallings.bsky.social translation of The Battle between the Frogs and the Mice, a perfect gift. Stallings’ translation flows wonderfully. I love the persona of the scholar A. Nony Mouse. Grant Silverstein’s illustrations make a fantastic addition to the poem.

So far, gotten two rejections, but one of them included some kind words about how engaging my subject matter and approach are. Calling it a win

Matthew Nisinson@mnisinson.bsky.social · last yr.

Starting to send out queries for my Catullus 85 manuscript. I’m doing my best to overcome the desire to make the perfect query and thus never query until it’s perfect. They can’t say “yes” if you don’t ask, I remind myself, as I worry they can’t say “no” until I ask, either.