“The 2009 fellowship in poetry I received from the National Endowment for the Arts changed my life. I work full-time as a physician practicing radiation oncology. The fellowship allowed me to take some time away from medicine to work on poems that became my third collection, Torn. Before I was awarded this fellowship, most of the physicians I work with would have viewed my writing as a hobby. But the NEA changed that, and opened doors for me to continue creating poetry and fiction. Since receiving the fellowship in 2009, I have gone on to publish two books of poetry, with a novel-in-stories forthcoming in early 2018.”
The National Endowment for the Arts is the largest single funder of the arts across America and has helped make Poets.org possible. Learn more about how you can support the NEA.