Spotlight On Writers
Patricia Carragon
- Where do you originate from?
I am originally from the Bronx, though I don’t often revisit my earliest years. Over time, I lived in several places—Nassau County, Bayside, Flushing, and Astoria, Queens. Astoria was especially meaningful, as it was there that I began to write and explore language more intentionally. Today, I live in Brooklyn, where my writing life feels most grounded and where I continue to build a literary community.
- What do you cherish most about the place you call home?
What I cherish most about Brooklyn is its sense of creative continuity. It offers room for reflection while remaining connected to the pulse of the city. Brooklyn supports literary exchange, artistic risk, and community building. It is also where I host the Brownstone Poets Reading Series, which has become an extension of my creative life. Home, for me, is where purpose, imagination, and connection converge.
- What ignites your creativity?
My creativity is ignited when language becomes necessary rather than decorative. After 2016, my writing grew more politically conscious, shaped by social injustice, environmental loss, and the erosion of empathy. Poetry, fiction, and haiku became ways to witness, question, and respond. Music, close observation, and nature within the city continue to influence my work, but urgency now plays a role. Writing helps me confront reality while preserving humanity.
- Do you have a favorite word, and could you incorporate it into a poetic phrase?
One word that frequently appears in my work is trees. They embody endurance, loss, and witness, especially in moments shaped by environmental and human damage. A haiku that reflects this recurring image in my writing is:
amid destruction,
echoes
of trees
Trees allow me to address grief and consequence with restraint, letting the image speak without explanation.
- What is your pet peeve?
My greatest pet peeve is complacency—particularly in moments that demand moral clarity. I’m troubled by emotional dishonesty, performative empathy, and art that avoids responsibility. Since becoming more politically aware after 2016, I value writing that bears witness and refuses silence. Poetry doesn’t need slogans, but it must remain awake. Authenticity, awareness, and courage matter more to me than comfort.
- How would you describe the essence of Patricia Carragon?
The essence of Patricia Carragon is rooted in observation, empathy, and social awareness. My work spans poetry, fiction, prose, and haiku, balancing emotional restraint with political consciousness shaped by the cultural shifts after 2016. I write to document lived experience and collective unease without spectacle. As a writer and literary organizer, I believe language can question power, honor truth, and create meaningful human connection.
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