In Conversation: Brandel France de Bravo & Marcela Sulak

A long-time friendship across continents. Both with roots in Washington, D.C. and with a deep attention to the world. Join us for an In Conversation to discuss their new work and relationship with writing.

Marcela says, “What excites me about speaking to Brandel about Locomotion Cathedral is her mindful examination of the role of the I (as eye, as conductor and mediator, as ego, as interlocutor) not only within a poem, but also in the world. This attention makes a great poem! but it also feels like a necessary step in understanding our place in the natural world.”

Brandel adds, “I love talking to her about poetry because she reads voraciously, and as a literature professor has the uncanny ability to read something of mine and recommend ten poets whose work could inform or enrich my own. Like me, she has lived in many countries, speaks several languages, and has translated poetry. Our work shares an international perspective, humor, a willingness to incorporate prose in our poetry (we both have published many lyric essays), and a fascination with fairy tales and nursery rhymes.”

About Brandel France de Bravo

Brandel France de Bravo’s third collection of poems, Locomotive Cathedral, was selected in the Backwaters Press contest, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press (March 2025). She is the author of two previous poetry books: Provenance, and the chapbook Mother, Loose. Her poems and essays have appeared in Best American Poetry, 32 Poems, Barrow Street, the Cincinnati Review, The Georgia Review, Seneca Review, Southern Humanities Review and elsewhere. She is co-author of the parenting book, Trees Make the Best Mobiles, Simple Ways to Raise Your Child in a Complex World, and editor of the bilingual anthology, Mexican Poetry Today: 20/20 Voices.

About Marcela Sulak

Marcela Sulak is the author of five poetry collections, most recently, The Fault, the National Jewish Book Awards finalist, City of Sky Papers, and the lyric memoir Mouth Full of Seeds (2020). She’s co-edited the Rose-Metal Press title Family Resemblance: An Anthology and Exploration of 8 Hybrid Literary Genres. A translator from the Czech, French, and Hebrew, Sulak’s work has been recognized by PEN and the NEA fellowship. Sulak is managing editor of The Ilanot Review, and she directs the Shaindy Rudoff Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Bar-Ilan University.