Richard Siken is a queer poet, painter, and filmmaker. His book Crush won the 2004 Yale Series of Younger Poets prize, selected by Louise Glück and was written partly as a response to the death of an early boyfriend. His portrayal of queer love siphons both the violence and transcendental secrecy whilst preserving the purity of love and the “ mystery is that there is something to keep the light from passing through.” He is cofounder and editor of the literary magazine spork and is the recipient of a Literature Fellowship in Poetry from the National Endowment for the Arts.