Introduction: 

Few contemporary American writers embody the transformative power of literature as profoundly as Dustin Pickering. Poet, editor, publisher, essayist, novelist, and literary critic, Pickering has earned international recognition not only for his own body of work but also for his tireless efforts to cultivate literary communities across cultures. His career reflects a rare commitment to both artistic excellence and literary service, making him one of the most influential independent literary voices of his generation.

Born in Decatur, Georgia, in 1981, Pickering's early life was shaped by family upheaval, personal loss, and emotional uncertainty. Yet those hardships gradually became the foundation of an extraordinary literary journey. Libraries became sanctuaries, books became lifelong companions, and poetry evolved into the language through which he explored memory, philosophy, suffering, faith, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Over the past two decades, he has founded the internationally respected literary journal Harbinger Asylum and the independent publishing house Transcendent Zero Press, edited numerous anthologies, reviewed hundreds of books, and published more than one hundred titles by writers from around the world. His own bibliography includes poetry collections, novellas, fiction, essays, literary criticism, and collaborative projects that bridge cultures and literary traditions.

India occupies a particularly significant place in Pickering's literary life. Through collaborations with Indian poets, publishers, scholars, and universities, he has developed enduring friendships and contributed meaningfully to literary exchanges between India and the United States. His work with Indian publishers and his lectures at academic institutions have strengthened these cross-cultural connections, while his writings continue to find an appreciative readership among Indian audiences.

In this exclusive online conversation with Dr. Basharat Khan, Hony Editor of LitStream, Dustin Pickering reflects on the experiences that shaped him as a writer, the books that transformed his imagination, the personal struggles that deepened his artistic vision, and his enduring belief that literature remains one of humanity's most powerful means of understanding itself.

PERSONAL JOURNEY AND EARLY INFLUENCES: 

Q1: Dustin, your life story begins with profound personal challenges. Looking back today, how do you remember your childhood?

Dustin Pickering: My childhood was defined by both loss and discovery. I was born in Decatur, Georgia, in 1981, but one of the defining events of my early life was the death of my maternal grandmother in a drunk-driving accident when I was only two years old. That tragedy fractured my family and changed the direction of my upbringing. I was eventually raised by my paternal grandmother and aunt, who provided stability during a very uncertain time.

As a child, I often carried a sense of displacement. I didn't fully understand those emotions then, but they later became central to my writing. Poetry eventually gave me a language for experiences I couldn't articulate as a boy. Looking back, I think many writers begin by trying to understand their own lives, and that was certainly true for me.

Q 2: Despite those difficult beginnings, books seem to have entered your life remarkably early. How did reading become such a defining part of your identity?

Dustin Pickering: Reading was my first real refuge. During my early education in Mississippi, I was fortunate to have a tutor who encouraged curiosity rather than simply teaching lessons. She introduced me to books that awakened my imagination, and from that point forward reading became an essential part of my life.

Books allowed me to travel beyond my immediate circumstances. They introduced me to ideas, cultures, philosophies, and histories that I never would have encountered otherwise. Even today, when people ask me how I became a writer, I always answer that I became a reader first.

Writing grows naturally out of sustained reading. Every book becomes part of an ongoing conversation that eventually inspires you to contribute your own voice.

Question 3: Before discovering poetry, you dreamed of becoming a horror novelist. What changed your direction?

Dustin Pickering: Like many teenagers, I admired Stephen King. His storytelling was compelling, and I imagined myself writing horror fiction. Everything changed, however, when my English teacher introduced me to Sylvia Plath.

Reading Plath was a revelation. I suddenly realized that poetry could contain psychology, philosophy, beauty, grief, and music simultaneously. It wasn't merely a literary form—it was a way of thinking and feeling that opened entirely new possibilities.

Soon afterward, I immersed myself in Shakespeare, John Milton, Edmund Spenser, and other classical writers. Paradise Lost became one of the books that permanently altered my understanding of literature. Instead of writing about external monsters, I found myself increasingly interested in the complexities of the human mind and spirit.

Question 4: Libraries appear repeatedly throughout your life story. What role did they play in your intellectual formation?

Dustin Pickering: Libraries gave me freedom.The Rosenberg Library in Galveston became almost a second home during my high school years. I spent countless hours reading poetry, philosophy, history, religion, literary criticism, and fiction. I wasn't simply borrowing books—I was constructing my own education.

I also haunted used bookstores and Salvation Army shops, often buying boxes of books for very little money. There were times when I owned far more books than I could possibly read, but every new discovery seemed to open another door.

Libraries taught me that education doesn't end with school. Reading is a lifelong discipline, and every serious reader eventually realizes that literature is one endless conversation stretching across generations and civilizations.

Q5: Your work reflects influences ranging from Shakespeare and Milton to Sylvia Plath, James Joyce, Pablo Neruda, and Petrarch. How have these writers shaped your literary voice?

Dustin Pickering: Every writer is, in some sense, the result of many conversations.

Shakespeare taught me the dramatic possibilities of language. Milton revealed the grandeur and architecture of epic poetry. Sylvia Plath demonstrated emotional honesty without sentimentality. James Joyce expanded my understanding of what language itself could accomplish, while Neruda showed me that lyricism could remain accessible without sacrificing intellectual depth. Petrarch introduced me to the enduring elegance of classical poetic tradition.

Influence, however, should never become imitation. My goal has always been to learn from great writers while remaining faithful to my own experiences and my own historical moment.

Ultimately, every writer must discover a voice that belongs to no one else.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS: 

Q6: During your teenage years, you became deeply interested in philosophy, music, and existential thought. How did those interests shape your worldview as a writer?

Dustin Pickering: Adolescence was a period of questioning everything. Punk rock introduced me to ideas about politics, science, authority, and existentialism. Around the same time, I encountered Jean-Paul Sartre and other existential thinkers whose work challenged me to examine life's fundamental questions rather than simply accepting inherited beliefs.

For me, literature and philosophy became inseparable. Poetry wasn't merely an artistic pursuit; it became a way of exploring freedom, suffering, morality, identity, and the complexities of human existence.

I've always believed that poetry should ask difficult questions. It doesn't necessarily provide answers, but it encourages deeper reflection, and that's one of literature's greatest gifts.

Q7: Your biography openly discusses your struggle with mental illness during college. How has that experience influenced your writing?

Dustin Pickering: It was unquestionably the most difficult period of my life. I experienced a severe psychological crisis that completely changed my perception of reality and ultimately required hospitalization.

I never romanticize that experience because mental illness is profoundly painful. Recovery required years of treatment, patience, and self-understanding. At the same time, surviving that period gave me a deeper appreciation for human vulnerability and resilience.

My poetry doesn't attempt to recreate those experiences directly. Instead, it reflects what I learned from surviving them: compassion, perseverance, and a greater awareness of the complexities that shape every human life.

Q8: Even during those years, reading remained a constant in your life. How important was literature to your recovery?

Dustin Pickering: Literature became my anchor. There were years when I read eight hours a day. Shakespeare, James Joyce, Pablo Neruda, Petrarch, Eugenio de Andrade, philosophy, history, theology—they all became companions in a long process of rebuilding my life.

Reading wasn't an escape from reality. It was a way of reconnecting with it. Every book challenged me intellectually while reminding me that generations of writers had wrestled with many of the same questions about suffering, meaning, and hope.

I've often said that literature educated me as profoundly as any formal institution.

Question 9: At what point did you begin believing that your own writing could contribute meaningfully to contemporary literature?

Dustin Pickering: That confidence developed gradually. I had been writing poems since high school, but publication wasn't my primary goal. I wrote because I needed to write.

Eventually, I realized that literature flourishes through community. Writers need readers, editors, publishers, and fellow artists who believe in one another. Rather than waiting for opportunities, I decided to help create them.

That decision eventually shaped the rest of my literary career.

Q10: That decision ultimately led to the founding of Harbinger Asylum. Looking back, what does that journal represent to you today?

Dustin Pickering: Harbinger Asylum began very modestly in 2008 with the encouragement of my friend Suzanne, who believed in my literary ambitions from the very beginning. The first issues were simply photocopied collections of poems by friends, local writers, and people I had met through online literary communities.

None of us imagined that the journal would eventually reach readers and contributors across the world.

Over time, Harbinger Asylum became much more than a magazine. It became a community where established and emerging writers could meet on equal terms. Reputation was never the primary consideration; the quality and sincerity of the work always mattered most.

Its nomination for the National Poetry Awards in 2013 remains an important milestone, but I believe its greatest achievement has been introducing remarkable writers to readers who might never have discovered them otherwise.

For me, literature has always been about building bridges, and Harbinger Asylum continues to embody that ideal.

Q11: Soon after founding Harbinger Asylum, you established Transcendent Zero Press. What inspired you to become a publisher?

Dustin Pickering: Editing naturally led to publishing. Through Harbinger Asylum, I encountered many gifted writers whose work deserved a wider audience. Rather than waiting for commercial publishers to recognize them, I decided to create an independent press that would prioritize literary merit over market trends.

That vision became Transcendent Zero Press. From the beginning, I wanted the press to be a platform where both emerging and established writers could publish meaningful work without compromising their artistic integrity. Independent publishing has always played an important role in literature because it allows voices outside the mainstream to be heard.

Publishing a book is an act of trust. You're placing faith in another writer's imagination and hoping that readers will find something lasting in those pages. Watching an author hold their first published book remains one of the most rewarding moments of my career.

Q12: Over the years you've edited anthologies, published more than one hundred books, and mentored countless writers. What has that journey taught you?

Dustin Pickering: It has taught me humility more than anything else.

Editors often receive recognition, but literature ultimately belongs to its writers. Every manuscript represents years of someone's thought, emotion, and dedication. My responsibility has always been to strengthen an author's work while preserving the uniqueness of that author's voice.

Working with writers from different countries and cultural traditions has also broadened my perspective. Although our languages and histories may differ, the fundamental concerns of literature—love, loss, identity, memory, hope, and justice—remain universal.

Perhaps the greatest lesson has been realizing that good editing is an act of listening. An editor shouldn't impose a voice but help reveal the one already present in the manuscript.

Q13: You are equally respected as a literary critic. Why do you believe criticism remains important in today's literary landscape?

Dustin Pickering: Criticism is one of literature's ongoing conversations.

I've written hundreds of reviews because criticism helps readers discover worthwhile books while encouraging thoughtful discussion about literature itself. A good review doesn't simply judge a work; it explains how and why it succeeds, where it challenges us, and what it contributes to the larger literary tradition.

Reviewing has also made me a better writer. Reading closely, analyzing technique, and understanding another author's creative decisions sharpen your own craft. Criticism, when practiced with fairness and generosity, becomes an extension of literary appreciation rather than an exercise in fault-finding.

Q14: Your editorial work has connected writers from many countries. How important is literature as a means of building international dialogue?

Dustin Pickering: I believe literature is one of humanity's greatest meeting places.

Political borders, languages, and cultural differences certainly exist, but literature reminds us that human experience is fundamentally shared. Through poetry, fiction, and essays, we encounter lives very different from our own and yet recognize familiar hopes and fears.

One of the greatest privileges of editing has been bringing together writers from different continents who might otherwise never have encountered one another's work. Those exchanges enrich everyone involved.

The literary community should never become insular. It grows stronger through openness, curiosity, and genuine cultural exchange.

Q15: In an era dominated by technology and rapid communication, what role should poetry continue to play in society?

Dustin Pickering: Poetry slows us down.

We live in a world that constantly demands speed—quick opinions, brief messages, immediate reactions. Poetry asks us to pause, to listen more carefully, and to think more deeply about language and experience.

Its value doesn't lie in providing easy answers. Instead, poetry preserves complexity. It reminds us that human life cannot always be reduced to slogans or headlines.

As long as people continue asking questions about love, mortality, justice, beauty, and meaning, poetry will remain essential. It speaks to the parts of ourselves that technology alone can never satisfy.

LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE:

Q16: Your literary relationship with India has become one of the defining aspects of your international career. How did that connection begin?

Dustin Pickering: My relationship with India developed quite naturally through literature. As I became involved in publishing and editing, I had the privilege of meeting many outstanding Indian poets and scholars whose work reflected remarkable depth, diversity, and cultural richness.

One of the most meaningful milestones was publishing Usha Akella's The Rosary of Latitudes through Transcendent Zero Press. That collaboration introduced me to a wider circle of Indian writers and publishers and deepened my appreciation for India's vibrant literary traditions.

Later, my own poetry collection, Salt and Sorrow, was published by Hawakal Publishers. That experience strengthened my relationship with Indian readers and affirmed my belief that literature transcends geographical boundaries. India has become one of the countries where my work has found its most thoughtful and enthusiastic audience.

Q17: You've delivered lectures at several Indian universities. What have those experiences meant to you personally and professionally?

Dustin Pickering: They remain among the most rewarding experiences of my literary life.

Speaking at institutions such as the English and Foreign Languages University in Hyderabad, Hindi University, and Catholicate College in Kerala allowed me to engage directly with students, scholars, and fellow writers who approached literature with genuine intellectual curiosity.

What impressed me most was the openness of the discussions. The students didn't simply ask questions about my work—they explored literature, philosophy, language, and the responsibilities of writers in contemporary society.

Those visits reinforced my conviction that literature flourishes through dialogue. I left each institution feeling that I had learned as much from the audience as they had learned from me.

Q18: You've often described literature as a bridge between cultures. How has working with writers from different countries influenced your own perspective?

Dustin Pickering: It's broadened my understanding of both literature and humanity.

Every culture brings its own history, mythology, rhythms, and ways of seeing the world. Yet when you read deeply enough, you also recognize how universal many human experiences are.

Editing and publishing writers from different continents has taught me to approach literature with greater humility. No single literary tradition possesses all the answers. Every culture contributes something unique to the ongoing conversation of world literature.

That exchange has enriched my own writing immeasurably.

Q19: English has become a global literary language. How do you view its role in contemporary literature?

Dustin Pickering: English occupies a unique position because it enables writers from diverse backgrounds to communicate across cultures. At the same time, I believe it's essential to preserve and celebrate literature written in every language.

Translation plays an indispensable role in that process. Some of the greatest works I've read reached me through translators whose artistry deserves equal recognition.

World literature becomes richer when languages interact rather than compete. Every language carries its own music, history, and worldview, and translation allows those voices to enter a broader conversation without losing their individuality.

Q20: As someone who has worked as a poet, editor, publisher, reviewer, and lecturer, how would you define literature itself?

Dustin Pickering: Literature is humanity's collective memory.

Every generation records its dreams, fears, discoveries, and struggles through stories and poems. Those works survive long after political systems change or civilizations decline.

To read literature is to participate in an ongoing dialogue that spans centuries. Shakespeare still speaks to us. Homer still speaks to us. Sylvia Plath still speaks to us. Great literature refuses to become obsolete because it addresses the enduring questions of human existence.

That's why I continue to believe that reading remains one of the most transformative experiences available to us.

Published Works and Achievements:

Q21: Your body of work now includes poetry, fiction, novellas, essays, criticism, and editorial projects. Looking back, how do you view your evolution as a writer?

Dustin Pickering: I've never wanted to limit myself to a single genre.

Poetry remains at the center of my creative life because it allows language to achieve its greatest concentration and intensity. At the same time, fiction gives me space to develop narrative and character, while essays and criticism allow me to engage directly with literary ideas.

Each form teaches me something different, and together they create a more complete understanding of what writing can accomplish.

I've always believed that curiosity is a writer's greatest asset. Every new project should challenge you to grow rather than repeat what you've already done.

Q22: Your first full-length collection, The Daunting Ephemeral, marked an important milestone. What does that book represent to you today?

Dustin Pickering: The Daunting Ephemeral represents the beginning of my public literary journey.

The collection brought together poems written over several years and explored themes that continue to shape my work: memory, mortality, spirituality, politics, beauty, philosophy, and the search for meaning.

Looking back, I can see both my influences and my aspirations within those pages. Every first book is a beginning rather than a conclusion, and I'm grateful that it allowed me to begin a lifelong conversation with readers.

Q23: Another significant collection is Salt and Sorrow, published in India. How did that book differ from your earlier work?

Dustin Pickering: Salt and Sorrow reflects a more mature stage of my writing.

The poems draw extensively on Biblical imagery while exploring universal themes of suffering, compassion, redemption, hope, and human dignity. Although religious symbolism appears throughout the collection, my primary concern has always been the shared human experience rather than doctrinal questions.

Having the book published in India gave it a special significance because Indian readers approached it with remarkable openness and generosity.

For me, the collection represents an important meeting point between poetry, philosophy, and spiritual reflection.

Q24: In addition to poetry, you've written fiction, two novellas, and a suspense novel. What attracts you to narrative fiction?

Dustin Pickering: Fiction gives me a different kind of freedom. Poetry is compressed and intensely lyrical, while fiction allows me to explore character, dialogue, atmosphere, and narrative over a broader canvas.

My early interest in horror fiction never completely disappeared. It simply evolved into a deeper interest in psychological conflict and the complexities of human behavior. Whether I'm writing poetry or fiction, I'm ultimately exploring the same enduring questions about identity, morality, memory, hope, and the search for meaning.

For me, genre is simply a vehicle. The deeper purpose of writing remains the same.

Q25: Beyond your own books, you've edited anthologies and published more than one hundred titles through Transcendent Zero Press. What has publishing taught you about literature?

Dustin Pickering: Publishing has taught me that literature is a collective endeavor. Every great literary culture depends not only on writers but also on editors, publishers, reviewers, translators, and readers.

Working with more than one hundred books has introduced me to voices from many countries and traditions. Every manuscript offers a different way of seeing the world.

One of the greatest satisfactions of my career has been helping emerging writers publish their first books. Watching an author gain confidence through publication reminds me why independent presses remain essential to literary culture.

Q26: You've also written hundreds of book reviews and literary essays. How has criticism influenced your own writing?

Dustin Pickering: Criticism has made me a more attentive reader and, I hope, a better writer.

When you review a book seriously, you're forced to think carefully about structure, language, imagery, rhythm, and intention. You learn to appreciate what a writer has achieved rather than simply reacting to the work.

I've always believed criticism should illuminate rather than diminish. Its purpose isn't to discourage writers but to deepen literary conversation and help readers discover books that deserve attention.

Reviewing has also introduced me to remarkable writers whose work I might never have encountered otherwise.

Q27: During the COVID-19 pandemic, you co-edited Global Pandemic Crisis. What inspired that project?

Dustin Pickering: The pandemic affected every society in profound ways, and I felt literature had an important role to play in documenting that experience.

Working with Dr. Ajit Kumar on Global Pandemic Crisis allowed scholars and writers from different countries to reflect on how they adapted intellectually, emotionally, and creatively during an unprecedented historical moment.

The project reminded me that literature isn't separate from history. Writers record not only events but also the emotional and philosophical dimensions of those events.

I hope future readers will see the anthology as a record of resilience, reflection, and global solidarity during a difficult period.

Q28: You also helped establish World Inkers and served as interviewer for the World Inkers Network. What did those experiences add to your literary journey?

Dustin Pickering: World Inkers expanded my understanding of literature as a truly global conversation.

Through interviews with poets, novelists, scholars, translators, and artists from many countries, I had the opportunity to learn from people whose cultural experiences differed greatly from my own.

Interviewing writers is a unique privilege because it allows you to explore not only their books but also the philosophies and experiences that shaped them.

Those conversations continually reminded me that literature flourishes through dialogue rather than isolation.

Q29: Your spoken-word collaborations and documentary appearances have introduced your work to audiences beyond the printed page. How do you view those experiences?

Dustin Pickering: Poetry has always possessed an oral tradition, so hearing poems performed aloud creates an entirely different experience.

I was honored to collaborate with Frederic Iriarte in Sweden on spoken-word recordings based on my poems. Hearing the work interpreted through another artist's creative vision was both surprising and rewarding.

Similarly, participating in interviews for community radio, Austin Public Television, and the documentary Poetry Is Dead allowed me to discuss literature with audiences who may not ordinarily read poetry.

I believe poetry should remain accessible wherever readers—and listeners—can encounter it.

Q30: Your career has included international recognition, award nominations, lectures, publishing, editing, and mentoring. Looking back, which accomplishments bring you the greatest satisfaction?

Dustin Pickering: Awards and recognition are certainly encouraging, but they aren't what I value most.

I'm proud that Harbinger Asylum received a nomination for the National Poetry Awards and grateful for the opportunities to lecture at universities and literary forums. Those experiences have been deeply meaningful.

However, my greatest satisfaction comes from helping writers find readers. Publishing someone's first book, introducing a new poet through a literary journal, or encouraging an emerging writer to continue working—those moments remain far more rewarding than any personal accolade.

Literature has given me an extraordinary life. If I've helped create opportunities for others, then I consider that my most important achievement.

POETRY AND THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE:

Q31: Many readers describe your poetry as philosophical as much as lyrical. Do you see yourself as a philosophical poet?

Dustin Pickering: Labels have never concerned me very much, but I do believe poetry should engage the intellect as well as the emotions. Some poems begin with an image, others with a memory or a rhythm, but many begin with a question.

I'm interested in the tensions that define human life—faith and doubt, hope and despair, memory and history, justice and suffering. Poetry allows those tensions to exist without forcing easy conclusions.

For me, a successful poem doesn't necessarily provide answers. It invites readers into a deeper conversation with themselves and with the world around them.

Q32: Your work often explores spirituality while remaining open to philosophical inquiry. How do you reconcile faith with intellectual freedom?

Dustin Pickering: I don't see them as opposing forces. Throughout history, many of the greatest writers and thinkers have wrestled with spiritual questions while remaining intellectually curious.

My own perspective has evolved over time. Rather than embracing certainty, I've become more interested in dialogue, compassion, and the search for meaning. Literature provides a space where faith, skepticism, philosophy, and imagination can coexist without diminishing one another.

Ultimately, I believe humility is more valuable than certainty. Good literature encourages us to remain open—to ideas, to people, and to experiences beyond our own.

Q33: In a world increasingly shaped by technology and artificial intelligence, what role do you believe poetry will continue to play?

Dustin Pickering: Technology changes the way we communicate, but it doesn't change the fundamental questions of human existence.

People will always seek meaning, beauty, love, justice, and hope. Poetry addresses those enduring concerns in ways that no technology can replace.

Artificial intelligence may assist writers in many practical ways, but it cannot substitute for lived experience, emotional authenticity, or moral imagination. Poetry arises from consciousness, memory, relationships, and the mystery of being human.

As long as those experiences exist, poetry will remain essential.

ADVICE FOR YOUNG WRITERS:

Q34: What advice would you offer to aspiring poets and writers who hope to build a lasting literary career?

Dustin Pickering: Read constantly and read beyond your comfort zone.

Don't limit yourself to contemporary literature or to writers who resemble you. Read the classics, philosophy, history, science, religious texts, translated literature, and voices from cultures different from your own.

Writing improves through sustained reading, disciplined practice, and honest revision. Publication should never become the primary goal. Focus first on developing your craft, your curiosity, and your integrity as a writer.

Most importantly, be patient. A literary career is measured in decades, not months.

Q35: Finally, what legacy would you like your work to leave for future generations of readers and writers?

Dustin Pickering: I hope readers remember not only the books I've written but also the literary communities I've helped build.

If my poetry encourages someone to think more deeply, if my essays inspire discussion, or if my publishing and editorial work helps another writer find an audience, then I'll consider my career worthwhile.

Literature is larger than any individual author. Every generation inherits a tradition, contributes to it, and then passes it forward.

If I've helped strengthen that tradition in some small way, I'll be grateful.