HeyJaredDancing With The Marginalia
biweekly essays about what I'm reading, what I'm writing, & also, sometimes, other stuff!
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 10
- Latest publication
- Sep 30, 2026
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- Jul 5, 2026
Latest issues
My new book isn’t selling. (opens the original)
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I’m lucky enough to have published a poetry collection that sold well. Though my 2022 debut, The Surrender Theory, had just under one hundred preorders and was off to a slow start in its first quarter, it has now sold over 7,000 copies in the four years it’s been around. Word-of-mouth has been incredibly helpful in terms of its longevity, but I begrudgingly owe most of the book’s success to TikTok, where videos of my poems—mostly <a href="https://substack.com/@cgcpoems/note/p-167538641?utm_sourc
Michelle Awad thinks you shouldn’t take your reading so seriously. (opens the original)
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If you’re part of the instagram poetry community, you’ve probably seen Michelle Awad’s work floating around the platform. Michelle, aka theconstantpoet, is known for poetry that is raw, magical, and unafraid to “go there,” as well as sharing monthly poetry prompts and hosting writing workshops (online and in-person!). On top of all that, you’ll often find her promoting the work of other poets, reading and commenting and being an overall supportive person. She does it all in a way that truly asto
everything I read in August. (opens the original)
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Well, I had another productive reading month. 12 books! I can somewhat explain this by the fact that I had a few days off at home—my first ever staycation—but I don’t think I read much more than I normally do. I don’t know how these things happen! Whenever I tell people how much I read, they comment on how much free time I must have. This bothers me because a) I feel very busy all the time juggling my writing career and bookselling life and b) it feels like I have almost no time to read. I wish
Dolly Parton, my grandmother, & me (opens the original)
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This past Tuesday, I was working at the bookstore. I was trying to get back into the swing of things after a five day break. I offered to gift wrap two items for one of our regular customers—a plush Snoopy purse and a bath toy—& she said Thank you, Dolly, as I took them to our wrapping station.My grandmother’s name was Carleen, but I always knew her as Dolly. The story goes that when I was a baby, I’d get passed around in a circle to all of my family members. They’d ask me to name each person, a
silas denver melvin thinks you should read books that aren't relatable. (opens the original)
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I first discovered silas on tumblr many years ago, where he was posting poems and striking visual art. Eventually I followed him on Instagram, too, where I continued to admire his work from afar1. silas has an online presence I can only think to describe as “cool and unwavering,” and a poetry style that’s gritty, measured, and deeply connected to the earth. Reading his work makes me realize I need to go outside a little more often.In 2022 I met silas in person when he attended a writing retreat
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