INSIDE THE MANUSCRIPT
Join us for Inside the Manuscript—a monthly book club for poets where craft meets community.
Most book clubs ask: What did you think of the book?
This one asks: How was the book built?
Inside the Manuscript is a live conversation series for poets, readers, and anyone who wants to understand not just what makes a poetry collection powerful—but how it gets made.
Each month, we’ll read a contemporary poetry collection together with a craft lens—studying structure, sequencing, voice, recurring images, emotional architecture, and the choices that transform a group of poems into a real book.
Then we bring the author into the room.
This isn’t a traditional book club. It’s part close reading, part craft masterclass, part behind-the-scenes literary salon.
How it works
Read the featured collection. We’ll spend the month reading together.
Join the live event (60 minutes)
30 minutes: Group discussion. I’ll share what I’m noticing craft-wise, what’s working on the page, and the questions the book raises for writers.
30 minutes: How the Book Was Built. A live conversation with the author about process, revision, manuscript construction, what got cut, what changed, and how the book found its final shape.
Reader questions will be gathered in advance so we can go deep.
Coaching clients: Afterward, there will be an optional private 30-minute craft conversation with the featured author.
September's guest: Jillian Stacia is the author of the poetry collection, SET THE BONE, published by Arcana Poetry Press. She was selected as an Honorable Mention for the 2025 Jack McCarthy Book Prize and short-listed for the 2026 Central Avenue Poetry Prize. She has been nominated for several awards, including 2025 Best of Net and the 2025 Pushcart Prize. Her poetry has been featured in several literary magazines and anthologies. Find her online @jillianstacia to read more of her work.