"One morning, I got out of bed and looked out my window and saw a group of children dressed in full tactical gear."

"The essays move around a lot in subject and form -- there are shorter, more lyric pieces, longer works of cultural criticism and literary journalism, some memoir work; one is about Brad Pitt eating on screen, another is about watching LeBron James's online dad content, another is about Andy Warhol's diaries"

"I believe that broken bodies tell broken stories. Or, they can, at least. Mine does."

"Iowa was not only the best location for me, but it felt like I could focus on my work here. The campus is so beautiful here, and the program itself is so enticing, it pushes me to be the best."

"I am always deeply inspired by everything that surrounds me – people, songs and sounds, landscapes, books, classes, talks, and the list could easily go on."

"Before coming to Iowa, I was living in New York City, desperately wanting to write but spending most of my waking hours in an office job."

"There are only a few literary translation programs at the graduate level and the University of Iowa was one of the oldest and most prominent ones."

"The sheer excitement of being at the Workshop -- and having the privilege of reading and discussing the wonderful work of my friends here -- is inspiring me every day."