Welcome to DC Writers Room’s Substack, the place for all things literary in the DMV. This issue features an interview with Dorian Elizabeth Knapp, author of Causa Sui.
Lit Life: A Conversation with Dorian Elizabeth Knapp
Dorian Elizabeth Knapp is the author of three poetry collections, Causa Sui (Three Mile Harbor Press, 2025), winner of the Three Mile Harbor Book Award; Requiem with an Amulet in Its Beak (Washington Writers’ Publishing House, 2019), winner of the Jean Feldman Poetry Prize; and The Spite House (C&R Press, 2011), winner of the De Novo Poetry Prize. She is the founding director of the Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing at Hood College and lives in Maryland with her family.
DCWR: What’s the inspiration behind Causa Sui?
KNAPP: Causa Sui, my third poetry collection, is in many ways a direct response to the second Trump administration, although the majority of it was written before the 2024 election. The second section of the book contains a number of 14-line sonnet-like poems that are structurally, thematically, and tonally very similar to the 14-line sonnet-like poems in my second collection, Requiem with an Amulet in Its Beak. The third section of the new book, which was written shortly after the inauguration in January 2025, is a series of found poems taken from the text of Project 2025. Although the current administration has been and will continue to be disastrous for this country, it has been good for my writing, in that I’ve been able to channel my anger into something productive.
DCWR: What do you hope readers take away from your book?
KNAPP: Emily Dickinson famously wrote, “If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry.” I don’t necessarily want my reader to feel bludgeoned, but I do hope the poems in this collection change the reader in some way. I believe one of the functions of poetry is to provide a vehicle for social justice, so I see the book as a sort of cri de coeur against the forces that are threatening our democracy.
DCWR: What book or books are on your newsstand or desk right now?
KNAPP: Three novels, two poetry collections, and one book of nonfiction are currently occupying space on my nightstand: The Arsonists’ City by Hala Alyan (fiction); Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino (fiction); Love and Ruin by Paula McClain (fiction); Grand Tour by Elisa Gonzalez (poetry); Portable City by Karen Kovacik (poetry); and Loving Sylvia Plath by Emily Van Duyne (nonfiction).
DCWR: Which writer or artist of any kind did you most recently discover and fall in love with?
KNAPP: Octavia Butler is one author I had never read before this year (and what a year to first read her) whose work blew my mind (in the Dickinsonian way).
DCWR: When you’re not writing you are…?
KNAPP: Teaching at Hood College, where I direct the Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing, and being a mom to two teenagers keeps me busy when I’m not writing.
Visit Dorian Elizabeth Knapp’s website to explore her upcoming events.
NEWS FROM THE DC WRITERS ROOM
WRITERLY HAPPY HOUR: Writers, drinks, and good vibes - who could ask for more! Mark your calendars for 12/11 at 6pm for the next Writerly Happy Hour, a collaboration from The DC Writers Room, The Writer’s Center, PEN/Faulkner, and The Inner Loop. The event, which takes place at No Kisses Bar in Sonny’s Pizza, is an excellent opportunity to mix with members of the DC writing community and to meet the staff of some of our area’s fantastic literary organizations. Reserve a spot here. We look forward to seeing you there!
UPCOMING EVENTS WITH STEFAN FATSIS: Don’t miss DC Writers Room member Stefan Fatsis as he promotes his new book Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat to) The Modern Dictionary at a couple local events early in December. Catch him at Wonderland Books on 12/3 at 7pm, and Planet Word on 12/13 at 4pm. Visit Stefan Fatsis’s website to see more of his upcoming events around the country, and make sure to pick up a copy of Unabridged at your favorite indie bookshop!
THE LIT LIST: THE DMV’S COOLEST LITERARY EVENTS THIS MONTH
IN THE AUTHORS CORNER INNER LOOP PANEL: The Inner Loop’s Fall Authors Corner spotlight writers (Michele Evans, Tamar Shapiro, and Charlotte Taylor Fryar) will be gathering at Politics & Prose Union Market on 11/8, 6pm, to discuss the role of place, time, and lore in their work. The event, moderated by Kyoko Mori, is free with first come, first serve seating. Click here to see more details about the panel, and check out Politics & Prose’s Events Page to see what else they have in store this month.
CARVING OUT A LITERARY LIFE: Want even more opportunities to hear from local writers? Visit The Writer’s Center on 11/13, 7pm, to hear from four DC-area authors as they “discuss the inspirations, obstacles, and lessons gleaned on their writing journeys.” The free event will feature short readings and a discussion from Elizabeth Bruce, Tom Navratil, Bernardine (Dine) Watson, and Lauren D. Woods. RSVP to attend here, and discover more exciting offerings from The Writer’s Center on its Free Events page.
COZY TOWN BOOKS: If you’re looking for a more holiday-inspired vibe, consider stopping by Old Town Books’ 11/13 “Cozy Town Books” event. Attendees can preview Old Town Books’ Holiday Gift Guides, savor some warm drinks at a hot cocoa bar, and get individualized reading recs from their staff. Purchase tickets here, and visit Old Town Books’ Events Page to see even more exciting events coming up.
“I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.”– Ralph Waldo Emerson