T.J. Palacios, Poet & Essayist
Who are you, and what do you do?
My name is T.J. Palacios. I write contemporary poetry and creative non-fiction essays focusing on culture, identity, and urban architecture.
Walk us through your writing space and the tools you use. What kind of desk, computer, or notebook are you using right now, and what software or apps do you type into?
I don’t actually have a traditional desk. I do almost all of my writing sitting cross-legged on a giant floor cushion in my living room, using a basic wooden lap desk.
My primary writing tool is a refurbished 1960s Smith-Corona Corsair typewriter. There is no backspace button, which forces me to commit to my mistakes and keep moving forward rather than constantly editing myself in real-time.
When I need to digitize my poems or polish an essay for my publisher, I use a base-model 11-inch M2 iPad Air with a Logitech Pebble wireless keyboard. For software, I use a minimalist Markdown editor called Ulysses. It keeps my files perfectly organized across my devices without any clutter.
Do you outline your entire story before you start typing, or do you just start writing and make it up as you go along?
For essays, I sketch out a very loose, bulleted list of themes. For poetry, there is zero outlining. It’s entirely vibe, sound, and imagery. I start with a single phrase or an observation I made on the street and pull the string until a poem unspools.
How is the "writing version" of you different from the person your friends and family see every day?
I talk a lot in casual settings—I'm a fast talker, I tell jokes, and I'm highly animated. But the writing version of me is completely sparse and quiet. My writing style is minimalist and short-form, which surprises people who know how talkative I am in person.
What do you do when you're completely stuck on a page and the words just aren't coming? Do you have a specific trick to reset?
I listen to vinyl records. I have a vintage Audio-Technica turntable near my cushion. I’ll put on ambient jazz or instrumental lo-fi beats, lay flat on the floor, and just let the music fill the room until my brain relaxes enough to find a new perspective.
If money and space were no object, what would your absolute dream writing environment look like?
A minimalist, wood-paneled studio apartment on the top floor of a building in New York or Chicago, with a private rooftop terrace. Just a floor cushion, an incredible sound system, and a view of the brick buildings and fire escapes below.
