You Are Jeff

“Litany in Which Certain Things Are Crossed Out” by Richard Siken (2005)

This is another long poem from Crush, which explores some of the same themes as “You Are Jeff” (bruising effects of desire, instability of identity, and so on) in a more recognizably poetic form, yet also experimenting with broken lines and visual disconnectedness that reflects the fragmentary nature of the poem’s story.

“Landscape with the Blur of Conquerors” by Richard Siken (2014)

This poem is an example of Siken’s interest in painting, both in itself and as a source of inspiration for poetry. It describes the creation of a painting and the artist’s thoughts and feelings during the process of creation.

“Real Estate” by Richard Siken (2020)

This poem appeared online some 18 months after Siken’s 2019 stroke, signaling his return to writing and publishing poetry. The speaker talks about parentage, death, and inheritance. The poem reads like a personal story, but Siken has repeatedly warned against reducing poetry to the author’s biography.

“Fight Club: Richard Siken” by Legacy Russell (2011)

In this revealing interview for Bomb Magazine, Siken discusses his writing process, his 2005 collection Crush, and the readers’ response to it.