(Amherst, Mass. — December 7, 2020)— The Common, the award-winning literary journal based at Amherst College, has hired acclaimed poet Willie Perdomo as its new Interviews Editor. With publishing experience stretching back twenty-five years, Perdomo currently teaches English at Philips Exeter Academy.
“We are thrilled to have Willie join The Common’s editorial team,” says Editor in Chief Jennifer Acker. “His innovative ideas, enthusiasm for our mission, and extensive literary background make him a perfect fit.”
Willie Perdomo is the author of The Crazy Bunch, The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon, Smoking Lovely, and Where a Nickel Costs a Dime. His honors include the International Latino Book Award and the PEN Open Book Award, and he has been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Norton Anthology of Latino Literature, Poetry, Bomb, and African Voices. He is currently a Lucas Arts Program Literary Fellow.
Three of Perdomo’s poems—“Breaking Night,” “They Won’t Find Us in Books,” and “We Used to Call It Puerto Rican Rain” —were published in The Common’s sixteenth issue as part of the portfolio De Puerto Rico: Un año después de la tormenta (From Puerto Rico: One Year After the Storm.) He was also interviewed for the magazine by Lisa M. Martinez.
In addition to featuring monthly long-form interviews, The Common’s Interviews column includes our Writers on Writing series, “Ask a Local” features, and an upcoming podcast series with the New Books Network. The Common’s interviews have featured writers such as Jesmyn Ward, Ross Gay, Jennifer Egan, and Carmen Maria Machado.
An award-winning print and digital literary journal published biannually, The Common features global literature with a strong sense of place. Based at Amherst College, the magazine is a joint venture between the College and The Common Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The Common also runs the Literary Publishing Internship at Amherst College, mentoring students in all aspects of literary publishing, and hosts public programming regularly, including LitFest.
Perdomo’s work in The Common can be read here.
Headshot by Sandra Perdomo.
