The New Yorker: Poetry Ada Limón and Natalie Diaz Discuss “Envelopes of Air”
May 23, 2018
Award-winning poets Ada Limón and Natalie Diaz discuss their collaborative poetry project 'Envelopes of Air.' They explore the intimate process of exchanging poems through letters, focusing on shared themes, personal connections, cultural identity, and nature. The conversation highlights the organic collaboration in poetry and introduces the New Yorker's online poetry section.
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Private Poetic Correspondence
- Ada Limón and Natalie Diaz created their poem letters by exchanging genuine, personal letters as poems without context or framing.
- They never discussed the poems outside the exchanges, maintaining a private, sacred space for their art.
Intimacy Shapes Their Poetry
- Writing exclusively for each other created a rare and intimate shared language and space for their poetry.
- This deep trust allowed them to be vulnerable and authentic in a way not usually possible in poetry.
Digital Letters Not Postal
- Although called letters, Ada and Natalie never sent physical mail; their exchanges were digital email attachments.
- This practical choice enabled the flow and immediacy necessary for their collaboration.