Howard Altmann Unbound

Howard Altmann is an internationally acclaimed poet whose work has been translated into Portuguese, Hebrew, and German, with original collections published around the world alongside his English-language books. A frequent contributor to The Guardian's celebrated "Poem of the Week" series, his poetry has appeared in The Atlantic, Best American Poetry, Poetry, TLS, and numerous other distinguished publications. A native of Montreal, Altmann holds degrees from McGill University and Stanford University and now lives in Brooklyn. Across his work, he has developed a singular poetic voice that moves effortlessly between the intimate and the historical, illuminating the ways memory, grief, place, and language shape our understanding of ourselves. His poems are celebrated for their musical precision, surprising imagery, and emotional depth, inviting readers into moments that feel at once deeply personal and profoundly universal.This week on Authors Unbound, we sit down with Howard Altmann to discuss Infinite Sky Divided, a remarkable new collection that explores the meeting place of private memory and collective history. Throughout the conversation, Howard reflects on the mysterious beginnings of a poem, describing how each one grows from a fragment of thought "pregnant with emotion" into an act of discovery. Together, we explore poems including "Kyiv," "Homage," "Holding Posture," and "Saudade," examining how they emerged through surprise rather than intention and how they navigate war, mourning, history, travel, and the enduring search for meaning. Howard also shares stories about writing in Lisbon, discusses the influence of poets such as John Ashbery and Wallace Stevens, and reflects on why creating poetry requires patience, spaciousness, and a willingness to remain perpetually surprised. The result is a thoughtful conversation about creativity, language, and the enduring power of poetry to illuminate both the individual life and the larger human story.Join us for a rich conversation exploring poetry, memory, history, and the quiet discoveries that shape a life in language.This is Howard Altmann Unbound.Purchase your copy of Infinite Sky Divided directly from Unbound Edition Press.For more from Unbound Edition Press, visit us at https://unboundedition.com.