NPR Best Books 2014 author Cameron Conaway talks poetry and prose

Behind the Prose

Author Cameron Conaway is a triple threat. He writes. He teaches. He fights. The latter was literal several years ago when he stepped into the ring as a Mixed Martial Artist but now his battles are on the world stage, raising awareness for preventable diseases like malaria through poetry and prose. His latest book, Malaria, Poems, is born of that call to advocacy. NPR selected the book, which is “spliced” (his science-influenced word) with facts about malaria, as a “Best Books of 2014.” In February, Newsweek published Cameron’s article, “A Working Malaria Vaccine that Can’t Get Money.” In the midst of touring for Malaria, Poems, teaching classes at Penn State Brandywine, and getting ready to travel overseas, I caught up with Cameron at a reading at Penn State Berks.In our interview which will be released on March 15, Cameron discusses the craft in his Newsweek article and in his poem, “Silence, Anopheles,” as well as what martial arts taught him about writing, how he broke into Newsweek, and whether a poet can retain his voice in prose. In this episode, I also talk about my obsession with McSweeney's Internet Tendency and in a new segment called Writer's Psych with Dr. Ike, I find out if it's healthy or not!