We recently had the chance to connect with Caitlin Conlon and have shared our conversation below.
Caitlin, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
My first 90 minutes are very important to me because they set the tone for the rest of my day! The first thing I do after waking up is read 50 pages of whatever book I’m in the middle of. After that, I’ll make my breakfast and coffee, and ease into my work day by reading (or writing) Substacks, checking emails, and looking at my to-do list.
It’s mostly the reading that grounds me. Not only does it wake me up, but it makes my brain feel sharper before I get ready for my day job.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! My name is Caitlin Conlon (she/her). I’m a Leo that owns way too many books. I’m also a writer, workshop facilitator, editor, and bookseller. My most recent poetry collection, Burning the Ghost Light, was released in September of 2025, and my first collection, The Surrender Theory was released in 2022 (both with Central Avenue Publishing)!
I’m the co-founder of Unearth Writing Retreats alongside Ari B. Cofer, and I’ve previously been published with midsummer magazine, Olney Magazine, and Anti-Heroin Chic, among others.
You can find my newsletter, Dancing With The Marginalia, on Substack. Everywhere else, I’m @cgcpoems.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My grandmother raised me, and throughout my childhood she always believed in me and my ability to accomplish whatever I set my mind to. When I was a kid, writing short stories on construction paper in the backyard, she told me I could be a writer someday if I wanted to. After I was published for the first time in an online lit mag, she printed my piece out and sent it excitedly to all her friends and family. She was a big reason I kept going with my craft, even when rejections outweighed the yeses.
I’ve dealt with insecurities my whole life, but she always saw me in a better light than I did. In her eyes, I was hardworking, talented, ambitious, and thoughtful. Whenever I deal with a difficult day now, I try to be kind to myself in the way she was kind to me.
When she died, the grief was large, heavy, and impossible to set down for a very long time. This inability to move forward is what ultimately led to the writing of my first poetry collection, and I wish more than anything she could’ve been around to see it.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
The work you’re doing now is building the foundation for everything you’ll accomplish in the future.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
It both is and isn’t me. Being an author in 2025 also means cultivating an online presence. While everything I post is genuine, it’s also a version of me that is specifically edited to be marketable and reach as many people as possible. It’s equivalent to using a “customer service voice” at work. Your voice is the same as it always is, but the tone is adjusted.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If immortality were real, what would you build?
Reading and writing are my two favorite things, and I often lament the time I can’t spend doing them. If I had an endless supply of years, I’d use it primarily to read more and write more. And then I’d try to create courses to help other writers do the same.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cgcpoems.com
- Instagram: @cgcpoems
- Other: Bluesky — @cgcpoems
Substack — https://cgcpoems.substack.com/
Image Credits
Kayla Simon (for the b&w photo)
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