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Topaz Winters

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Topaz Winters
Born (1999-09-25) September 25, 1999 (age 25)
United States
OccupationWriter
NationalitySingaporean
Alma materPrinceton University
Period2013–present
GenrePoetry, essays
Website
topazwinters.com

Topaz Winters (born September 25, 1999) is the pen name of Singaporean-American writer Priyanka Balasubramanian Aiyer.[1][2]

Early life and education

[edit]

Winters was born in the United States and grew up in Singapore from when she was seven years old.[1] She graduated from Princeton University in 2023 with a B.A. in English and certificates in Creative Writing, Visual Art, and Italian. There, she studied poetry and fiction under Danez Smith, Monica Youn, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, and Joyce Carol Oates.[3]

Career

[edit]

Winters writes on illnesses such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, dissociative amnesia and hyperacusis, as well as her experiences of being a queer and disabled woman of color and an immigrant.[4]

She is the author of the chapbook "Heaven or This" (2016) and the full-length poetry collections "poems for the sound of the sky before thunder" (Math Paper Press 2017),[5] "Portrait of My Body as a Crime I'm Still Committing" (2019),[3] and "So, Stranger" (Button Poetry 2022).[6] In 2024, Button Poetry issued a reprint of her second, self-published book "Portrait of My Body as a Crime I'm Still Committing" in a five year anniversary edition, with new poems and a foreword by Blythe Baird.[7]

She is the youngest author to be published by Math Paper Press, the youngest Singaporean nominee for the Pushcart Prize,[1] and the youngest visiting author at several MFA programs across the United States.[8]

She is the editor-in-chief at the publishing house and literary journal Half Mystic, which has published work by KB Brookins, Alexandra Eldridge, Mree, and The Haunt.[2] In 2023 she founded the online literary magazine Kopi Break with Max Pasakorn and Kendrick Loo, publishing new voices in Singaporean poetry.[9]

Winters wrote and appeared in the 2017 short film SUPERNOVA (directed by Ishan Modi).[10] With Crispin Rodrigues, she is the co-curator of the 2020 Singapore Writers Festival digital installation Letters From Home to Home.[11] She embarked on a book tour across the East Coast in celebration of "So, Stranger" in 2022, performing with musicians and writers in New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.[12][13] She has performed her poetry at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Center for Fiction, and the Singapore Writers Festival.[14]

Her peer-reviewed scholarly paper "Queering Poetics: The Impact of Poetry on LGBT+ Identity in Singaporean Adolescents" was published in the Journal of Homosexuality when she was 19 years old. She is the youngest author to be published in this journal.[15]

Works

[edit]

Poems

[edit]
  • "Idol". The Drift. 2024[16]
  • "Nocturne for Changing the Subject". Passages North. 2024[17]
  • "Self Portrait as Methods of Survival". The Boiler. 2023[18]
  • "It's Not That I'm Angry". Poets.org. 2022[19]
  • "Home Ghazal (Alvin Says, It is What We Love That Gives Us Our Names)". Hobart. 2022[20]
  • "Terrible Things Are Happening in New Jersey!". The Ex-Puritan. 2022[21]
  • "Arrival", "That Summer I Wrote the Same Poem Over & Over". Diode Poetry Journal. 2021[22]
  • "& When I Say the Word Hunger You Know I’m Speaking of Resurrection". Tinderbox Poetry Journal. 2020[23]
  • "I Found a New World Across the Sea". Under a Warm Green Linden. 2019[24]
  • "The Night You Are Diagnosed". DIALOGIST. 2019[25]
  • "Every Day the Same Story About Immigrants". Ghost City Review. 2019[26]
  • "About This Morning", "Lovesong to Vernal Equinox, Standard Time". Tenderness Lit. 2019[27]
  • "When my First Boyfriend Learned I Was on Anti-Psychotics, He Laughed & Told Me He Always Suspected I was Crazier than I Let On". Birdfeast. 2019[28]
  • "Origin Story". Occulum. 2018[29]
  • "War Story With My Father". Sundog Lit. 2018[30]
  • "I Start Crying During the Best Part of the Film". Rust+Moth. 2016[31]

Books

[edit]
  • So, Stranger. Button Poetry. 2022. ISBN 9781638340249
  • Portrait of My Body as a Crime I'm Still Committing. Button Poetry. 2019. ISBN 9781733881609
  • poems for the sound of the sky before thunder. Math Paper Press. 2017. ISBN 9789811137792

Scholarly papers

[edit]
  • Queering Poetics: The Impact of Poetry on LGBT+ Identity in Singaporean Adolescents. Journal of Homosexuality, 67:2, 206-222. DOI 10.1080/00918369.2018.1536415[15]

Edited

[edit]
  • You Make Yourself Another. Lucy Hannah Ryan. Half Mystic Press. 2023.[32] ISBN 9781948552158
  • Half Mystic Journal, Issue X: Elegy. Half Mystic Press. 2022[33]
  • Waiting for Frank Ocean in Cairo. Hazem Fahmy. Half Mystic Press. 2022.[34] ISBN 9781948552110
  • Half Mystic Journal, Issue IX: Synaesthesia. Half Mystic Press. 2021[35]
  • Half Mystic Journal, Issue VIII: Sforzando. Half Mystic Press. 2020[36]
  • Say Mother Say Hand. Marie Conlan. Half Mystic Press. 2020.[37] ISBN 9781948552103
  • The Family That Carried Their House on Their Backs. Sammie Downing. Half Mystic Press. 2019.[38] ISBN 9781948552080
  • Hag. Tamara Jobe. Half Mystic Press. 2019.[39] ISBN 9781948552066
  • Half Mystic Journal, Issue VII: Aubade. Half Mystic Press. 2019[40]
  • Half Mystic Journal, Issue VI: Interlude. Half Mystic Press. 2018[41]
  • Crowd Surfing With God. Adrienne Novy. 2018.[42] ISBN 9781948552028
  • Half Mystic Journal, Issue V: Cadenza. Half Mystic Press. 2018[43]
  • Knock. Melissa Atkinson Mercer. Half Mystic Press. 2017.[44] ISBN 9781948552004
  • Half Mystic Journal, Issue IV: Grazioso. Half Mystic Press. 2017[45]
  • Half Mystic Journal, Issue III: Nocturne. Half Mystic Press. 2017[46]
  • Half Mystic Journal, Issue II: Saudade. Half Mystic Press. 2016[47]
  • Half Mystic Journal, Issue I: Allegro. Half Mystic Press. 2016[48]

Personal life

[edit]

Winters moved to New York City after graduating from Princeton University in 2023. She is single and uses she/they pronouns.[1] She owns a black cat named Volta.[49]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d hermesauto (2019-04-29). "The 'rebel girls' of Singapore poetry: Young, outspoken and pushing boundaries". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  2. ^ a b "Topaz Winters: On Music, Tech And Writing". Lifestyle Guide. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  3. ^ a b "Topaz Winters, student and artist, makes meaning out of suffering". The Princetonian. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  4. ^ "'Worthy of taking up space': Jennifer Lee '23 founds nonprofit to support Asian Americans with disabilities". The Princetonian. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
  5. ^ "poems for the sound of the sky before thunder". BooksActually. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018. Retrieved 2020-08-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "So, Stranger (Button Poetry)". Button Poetry. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  7. ^ "Portrait of my Body as a Crime I'm Still Committing". Button Poetry. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  8. ^ Parker, Annamarie. "Visiting poet Topaz Winters reflects on her writing journey". The North Wind. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  9. ^ "About". Kopi Break. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  10. ^ TAN, MEGAN (2018-08-11). "A new chapter for SingLit". The Business Times. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  11. ^ "Singapore Writers Festival - Letters from Home to Home". Singapore Writers Festival. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  12. ^ lincolnvillagesun (2022-08-18). "Poet Topaz Winters curates a soulful night of music and verse at 'So, Stranger' launch". The Village Sun. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  13. ^ "Arts Briefs". The Provincetown Independent. 2022-08-17. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  14. ^ "Emerging Talent and Legendary Artists Celebrated The YoungArts Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art". Vogue. 2024-04-09. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  15. ^ a b Aiyer, Priyanka (2020-01-28). "Queering Poetics: The Impact of Poetry on LGBT+ Identity in Singaporean Adolescents". Journal of Homosexuality. 67 (2): 206–222. doi:10.1080/00918369.2018.1536415. ISSN 0091-8369. PMID 30407889. S2CID 53236989.
  16. ^ "Idol". The Drift. 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  17. ^ "Issue 45". Passages North. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  18. ^ "Topaz Winters". The Boiler. 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  19. ^ Poets, Academy of American. "2022 Academy of American Poets Prize". Poets.org. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  20. ^ "Home Ghazal (Alvin Says, It Is What We Love That Gives Us Our Names) by Topaz Winters". www.hobartpulp.com. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  21. ^ Winters, Topaz. "Terrible Things Are Happening in New Jersey!". ex-puritan.ca. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  22. ^ "Topaz Winters". diode poetry journal. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  23. ^ Winters, Topaz. "& When I Say the Word Hunger You Know I'm Speaking of Resurrection | Tinderbox Poetry Journal". Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  24. ^ "Issue 8: Topaz Winters". Green Linden Press. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  25. ^ "Week 33: Topaz Winters". DIALOGIST. 2019-08-16. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  26. ^ "Topaz Winters". Ghost City Press. 2019-08-02. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  27. ^ "by Topaz Winters". tenderness lit. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  28. ^ "Topaz Winters | Birdfeast 14". www.birdfeastmagazine.com. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  29. ^ occulum (2018-10-31). "Origin Story | by Topaz Winters". Occulum. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  30. ^ "Winters". Sundog. 2018-09-16. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  31. ^ "I Start Crying During the Best Part of the Film – Rust & Moth". rustandmoth.com. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  32. ^ "You Make Yourself Another by Lucy Hannah Ryan". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  33. ^ "Half Mystic Journal Issue X: Elegy". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  34. ^ "Waiting for Frank Ocean in Cairo by Hazem Fahmy". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  35. ^ "Half Mystic Journal Issue IX: Synaesthesia". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  36. ^ "Half Mystic Journal Issue VIII: Sforzando". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  37. ^ "Say Mother Say Hand by Marie Conlan". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  38. ^ "The Family That Carried Their House on Their Backs by Sammie Downing". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  39. ^ "Hag by Tamara Jobe". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  40. ^ "Half Mystic Journal Issue VII: Aubade". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  41. ^ "Half Mystic Journal Issue VI: Interlude". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  42. ^ "Crowd Surfing With God: 5 Year Anniversary Special Edition by Adrienne Novy [PREORDER]". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  43. ^ "Half Mystic Journal Issue V: Cadenza". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  44. ^ "Knock by Melissa Atkinson Mercer". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  45. ^ "Half Mystic Journal Issue IV: Grazioso". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  46. ^ "Half Mystic Journal Issue III: Nocturne". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  47. ^ "Half Mystic Journal Issue II: Saudade". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  48. ^ "Half Mystic Journal Issue I: Allegro". Half Mystic. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  49. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
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