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In anticipation of her forthcoming memoir Company of Owls, we sat down with author Polly Atkin—recently longlisted for the 2025 Wainwright prize—to discuss the kinds of company we keep, the habits that hold us steady, and the birds that transform our journey along the way.

 I try to be a good neighbor to humans and nonhumans alike, mindful of community both present and future.

Milkweed staff: We were delighted to discover that you own the

independent bookstore, Sam Read Bookseller! Living alongside the owls, how have they informed your place within the community—both as a bookseller…

In celebration of our newest National Poetry Series Winner, Milkweed hosted a reading featuring Keith S. Wilson and his debut poetry collection, Games for Children on September 24th. While here, Keith was joined in conversation with graphic designer and Milkweed Fellow Alex Guerra to discuss the creation of his book cover. Later, Keith took the stage alongside poets Chaun Webster and Douglas Kearney to discuss graphic design, poetry, and how they’ve blurred the boundaries between the two disciplines.

Within minutes of his arrival at Milkweed, Keith S. Wilson and Milkweed Fellow Alex Guerra sparked into conversation over their many…

Following a night of conversation with Robert Macfarlane to launch his latest novel, Is a River Alive?, Nicholas Triolo and Milkweed staff accompanied Owámniyomni Okhódayapi program director Barry Hand on a tour of St. Anthony Falls. There, they discussed Nicholas’ debut memoir, The Way Around: A Field Guide to Going Nowhere, restorative efforts on the historic riverfront in downtown Minneapolis, and what it means to strive toward mutual flourishing. The Way Around launches Tuesday, July 8th, with a reading hosted by Nicholas Triolo at the Missoula Public Library.

“How are you doing, Nick? You had such an amazing…

On Monday, June 9th, Milkweed welcomed internationally renowned author Robert Macfarlane to celebrate the first stop of his book tour for his latest memoir, Is a River Alive? He was joined by Milkweed author and long-distance trail runner Nicholas Triolo, whose debut memoir—The Way Around: A Field Guide to Going Nowhere—will be available July 8^th, 2025.

As world-renowned author Robert Macfarlane and memoirist Nicholas Triolo serendipitously join Milkweed for a night of kora and conversation, they collectively conjure a symbol of their books converging into the more-than-human landscape. Together, they…

In anticipation of the release of Governing Bodies: A Memoir, A Confluence, A Watershed this fall, we sat down with author Sangamithra Iyer to learn more about the structure, themes, and interconnected layers in the book, including her work with animal rights.

Milkweed: Governing Bodies is uniquely structured. Can you talk about how you came to that form and why you chose it?

Sangamithra Iyer: Governing Bodies was an ungovernable book to write. The structure was not something I could engineer or impose. The blueprint didn’t come first; it was shaped with iteration over time.

I…

On Wednesday, May 21st, Milkweed hosted a book launch to celebrate the publication of Karen Babine’s newest memoir The Allure of Elsewhere: A Memoir of Going Solo. She was joined by journalist and fellow memoirist Marya Hornbacher. Together, they delighted in conversation on scamps, cats, and what it means to travel solo.  

Tonight’s book launch is packed to the edges with attendees—it is all wiggle room and pressing elbows. Near the front of the crowd, Karen Babine stands haloed by her copper waves and celebratory glitter. As the designated Babine family historian, her launch has shifted into a kind…

In anticipation of the release of The Possibility of Tenderness this fall, we sat down with author Jason Allen-Paisant. It was an illuminating and profound conversation with wonderful insight of what is in store in the book.

Milkweed: The title of the book, The Possibility of Tenderness, is such a wonderful and welcoming lead into what the reader will find between its pages. Can you say a bit more about what you mean about tenderness and how the book explores it?

Jason: Racism doesn’t just affect how people are treated—it affects how people experience time. One of…

On April 13, 2025, Milkweed Editions delighted in collaborating with The Obodo Collective, a Las Vegas-based urban farm, to break ground on their second annual Our Mothers’ Garden Book Festival. To join in the festivities, Milkweed Editions donated a bundle of books to distribute to the community.

Collaborating with The Obodo Collective to break ground on a successful festival, for Milkweed, means more than just extending this act of mutual flourishing—it is the chance to delight in a gift economy over tilled earth. Per their website, their namesake embodies their mission in its entirety: “Obodo comes from the Igbo…

On May 6th, Milkweed Editions hosted a concert and album release party for late poet Bill Holm’s Playing Haydn for the Angel of Death. The album—a musical rendition of the late author’s namesake poem—was composed by Martha Helen Schmidt, sung by operatic baritone Ryan Hugh Ross, and accompanied by pianist Dr. Daniel Rieppel. They were joined by Milkweed Editions founder Emilie Buchwald, and visiting poets Freya Manfred and Barton Sutter. Together, they conjured Open Book into a concert hall to demonstrate the mastery of poetics, the transformative power of art song, and how Bill Holm challenged…

As we pass the perihelion of National Poetry Month, Milkweed Editions celebrated the launch of Chris Santiago’s newest poetry collection, Small Wars Manual, on April 16th. There, he was joined by poets that have each tackled small wars of their own: Kathryn Nuernberger, MC Hyland, and Rebecca Lehmann. Between the four of them—they alchemized militant warfare with poetry, prose, and shared community.

Around the room, poetry peeks from purses and palms. Signed copies curl into the crooks of elbows. In honor of National Poetry Month, poets from around the world strike pen to paper, writing a poem each…