1. César Aira
His approach to writing fascinates me. I also love his commitment to being prolific with shorter books.
2. Toni Morrison
She’s the kind of writer you would hope people read 500 years from now so they understood this country much better.
3. Lydia Davis
She demonstrates that microfiction can be just as powerful as a novel.
4. Lucille Clifton
She was poignant, succinct, and very talented. Her poetry speaks to me.
5. Etheridge Knight
He was an amazing poet, who just happened to have been from my father’s hometown, Corinth, Mississippi.
Ran Walker is an award-winning author of seventeen books. I currently teach poetry and fiction at Hampton University in Virginia. TPQ reviewed his newest work, Most My Heros Don’t Appear on No Stamps.
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