A poet, educator, and scholar, Carlina Duan is the newest addition to the creative writing program here in the English and Comparative Literature department! Professor Duan brings excitement and passion to UNC that stems from her admiration for the creative writing program and its students, “I’ve long been a fan of the creative writing program at UNC, so it’s an honor to join the ranks of talented colleagues whom I admire not only for their writing, but also for their devoted pedagogies and generous literary presences.”
Next Projects: Creative and Critical
Duan is in the midst of working on her next poetry manuscript in which she will play with form by creating a multimodal book that implements linguistic collage, translation, and image. Utilizing these unique forms, Duan plans to think through the ethical labor and weight of poetry in a time of ongoing climate disaster and geopolitical violence” and “wander through the question Why poetry? amidst tensions of translation, inheritance, and time.”
In addition to this creative project, Duan is working on a collection of scholarly essays. These criticisms will delve into contemporary Asian American Pacific Islander documentary poetry, focusing on how poets use diverse materials—such as maps, letters, and soundscapes—to engage with complex historical legacies.
Poetry Beyond the Page
In her Advanced Poetry Workshop, Duan encourages students to reimagine the boundaries of poetry. Recently, students explored a “material triptych” by poet Kelly Hoffer, using cyanotype paper, red thread, and a sewing machine to rethink poetic form. The class also had a live conversation with Hoffer, discussing the intersections of poetic process and artistic collaboration. “It was an electrifying conversation,” Duan recalls, highlighting her commitment to teaching that merges creative practice with innovation.
Literary Favorites and Fun Facts
A devoted reader, Duan raves about Aracelis Girmay’s poem “For Estefani Lora, Third Grade, Who Made Me a Card” saying, “This poem is the first poem that I ever heard read out loud by a contemporary poet. Without giving too much away (hint, hint: read the poem in full!), the word “Loisfoeribari” is a tiny good luck charm for me.” In addition to her love for poetry, Duan is an avid snail mail enthusiast. She enjoys hand-writing letters, collecting nature talismans, and sending thoughtful packages to friends.
Media Recommendations: Multimodal Magic
Leaving us with some of her current favorites, Duan says “I’m so inspired by poets like Divya Victor and Craig Santos Perez, who, in addition to producing piercing poems on the page, also weave in multimodal collaborations as a part of their poetics. In particular, I highly recommend Divya Victor’s collection CURB, her poem-soundscapes with artist Carolyn Chen, and her artists’ book collaboration with printer Aaron Cohick, which have all been transformative for my own creative thinking and making.”
We are thrilled to have Professor Duan in department and cannot wait to read her upcoming work!
