Poem page titled In the beginning by Maia von Maltzahn, black text on white background, about an anthem in an empty stadium.

In a poetic landscape that resists containment, Ryan Di Francesco writes with a voice that is fluid, restless, and deeply attuned to the rhythms of everyday life. As a writer, teacher, and editor-in-chief of Shadow and Sax, his work moves between brevity and expansiveness, surreal imagery and raw emotional clarity. Influenced by poets like Federico García Lorca, Jack Spicer, Pierre Reverdy, and Nicanor Parra, Di Francesco embraces an ever-evolving practice; it's one that trea