William Bortz

What’s your genre?
Poetry

Are you published?
Traditional publisher

What inspire you to become a writer?
Growing up, I didn’t have anyone to talk to about what I was experiencing or feeling. Books, poetry, and music quickly became a way for me to understand the world around me and my place in it. I wanted to become a writer so I could be that safe haven for anyone needing one.

What author do you admire and how have they inspired your writing?
Hanif Abdurraqib. He writes with such great intention and appreciation. It makes me look closer at everything that I see.

Name three o four favorite books and their authors
Calling a Wolf a Wolf by Kaveh Akbar
They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib
The Wild Iris by Louise Glück

What’s one thing readers should know about you?
I believe that most often hope is a small light far away, and it is always worth moving toward that light.

What’s one piece of advice you would give a budding writer?
Read, read, read.

Author bio
William Bortz is a poet and editor from the Midwest. He is the author of Many Small Hungerings (Andrews McMeel, 2023) and The Grief We’re Given (Central Ave, 2021). You can find his work online and in print in Okay Donkey, Random Sample, Little Death Lit, Lyrical Iowa, and others. William lives with his wife and daughter. He will always be happy to talk about music or basketball. Click here to visit William.