Poetry, Prose, and the Internet: Author Patricia Lockwood Speaks at Hopkins

Acclaimed writer Patricia Lockwood visited Hopkins on Monday, March 31, as part of the School’s annual Visiting Writer Series. Lockwood spoke at an all-school assembly and later met with smaller groups of students in English classes for a Q&A and workshop session.

Lockwood’s signature wit and unique perspective on writing shone through as she read passages from her 2021 novel, No One Is Talking About This. In both her poetry and prose, Lockwood explores themes of identity, language, and the absurdity of modern life.

"Poetry is durable and shiny," Lockwood said during the Q&A. "It’s like silversmithing a ring that will last for a thousand years. It can’t be unmade."

When asked about developing an authorial voice, she encouraged students, stating: "It’s okay to write the way you sound. It’s not a high barrier of entry. Don’t be afraid to sound like yourself on the page. Everyone has a fingerprint in their prose."

Throughout the school year, students in 21st Century American Literature have been reading No One Is Talking About This, while students in Studies in Poetry and Weddings, Witches, and Wombs: Women’s Narratives have explored her poetry. In preparation for her visit, all Hopkins students spent time in English class engaging with either her poetry or excerpts from her prose.

Lockwood is the author of four books, including the aforementioned novel No One Is Talking About This, which became an international bestseller and was a finalist for both the Booker Prize and the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Her 2017 memoir Priestdaddy won the Thurber Prize for American Humor and was named one of The Guardian’s 100 best books of the 21st century. She has also published two poetry collections, Motherland Fatherland Homelandsexuals (2014) and Balloon Pop Outlaw Black (2012). Lockwood’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and the London Review of Books, where she is a contributing editor. She currently lives in Savannah, Georgia.

Lockwood’s visit was part of the Hopkins Visiting Writer Series, organized by the English Department, which in recent years has welcomed acclaimed authors including Natalie Diaz, Claudia Rankine, and Paul Beatty.

Click here to see all photos from Lockwood's visit.