How/when did you start writing poetry?

I began posting my poetry on Tumblr in late 2012, without any vision of what the future held for me as a writer. One of my first poems got a ton of attention overnight and was shared all over the internet, reposted by celebrities and social media influencers who were kind enough to tag me, etc. I then grew an audience on both Tumblr + Instagram which led me to self-publish my first book due to the motivation of my followers. (Thank you!)

Why did you start writing?

I've had an interest in writing since I was little, which began with wanting to be a journalist in NYC. I was an editor on my middle school newspaper and yearbook, and often wrote stories on my laptop, only to abandon them after a few chapters. It wasn't until I was 16 that I discovered a love for creative writing/poetry. I watched the movie Like Crazy, where Felicity Jones reads this piece. I was mesmerized and inspired by the beauty of her words and wanted to learn how to create the same effect with mine.

How did you self-publish your first book?

I researched online how to do it, contacted a few people I knew who'd already done it, and decided to go with createspace.com (now Kindle Direct Publishing), which allows you to self-publish at no cost (although they do offer some paid services) and posts your book for sale on Amazon, bn.com, etc. It's print-on-demand, so they ship the books as they are ordered straight from the printer. I did it pretty much all on my own (like figuring out how to format it. I typed mine up on Pages but later learned that InDesign is much easier) and commissioned Laura Supnik to do the cover/illustrations. It was the ultimate definition of "winging it," but I'm so glad I did!

How did you get your book in Barnes & Noble?

I was contacted by someone on Tumblr from the Barnes & Noble team, who'd noticed that my book's sales were doing well on their website, and wanted to know if I was interested in having it sold in stores. At first, I thought it was a joke (a fake account contacting me) but it was real! I signed a contract with them and they re-published Eighteen Years through their in-house printer (as Createspace's barcode was not compatible) to sell in stores. It was a dream come true.

How were you able to get a publisher to work with you?

I knew I wanted to go with a publisher the second time around, but I wasn't totally sure how to do it. A lot of publishers don't allow unsolicited proposals. Thankfully, two agents from Folio Literary Management reached out to me via email and got my book in the hands of the “Big Five” publishers. After lots of (nerve-wracking, but totally exciting) calls and negotiations, I decided to publish with Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

Are you in college?

I graduated cum laude in the summer of 2020 with a BFA in Graphic Design and a minor in Creative Writing.

How do you pronounce your last name?

(Not a frequently asked question but I thought I'd help you out.) It's pronounced "koon", rhymes with "moon"

Are you still a Christian?

I get this question a lot because I was very outspoken about my faith online and through my writing. I've since had a change in beliefs and now consider myself agnostic, but spiritual.