Konstantin N. Rega

Francis poulenc (devoutly gay, devoutly catholic)

Born in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, Konstantin N. Rega graduated from East Anglia's Creative Writing MA with the Ink, Sweat and Tears Scholarship. Twice a Dan Veach Young Poet's Prize finalist and 2019 Best of the Net nominee, he's been published by Poetry Salzburg Review, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Lighthouse Journal, The Claremont Review, amongst others, and is a contributor for Southern Review of Books and All About Jazz.

Konstantin wrote the following about his poem:

This poem is part of a small (as of now) collection of writings on various composers ranging from Poulenc to Ottorino Respighi, Clara Schumann, and Maria Anna Mozart as well as mythical beings like Apollo and the Sirens. They are usually tinged with an LGBTQ+ perspective, saying what they couldn't say during their lifetime. Francis Poulenc is one of my favourite composers, blending beauty with a playful humour. I hope my poem displays a bit of that liveliness and longing.