I. If you could tell your younger writer self anything, what would it be?
I would tell her simply, "Take Heart." I value my current writer self and the journey I have taken to get here. So when I look back it is only those words that can sum it all up. A lot of people think, "I wish I knew then what I know now" which is valid however for me I feel no matter if I knew what I know now, back then I would still make foolish mistakes, I would still lose myself and still have to come into truth. All I would say to her is take heart. Take heart & in addition, you are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.
II. Do you think there are misconceptions that people have about you and your writing? Or the genre that you write in as a whole. If so what do you think they are?
Of course. misconceptions come with everything, not just writing or writers. I think there is a misconception that poetry’s value is only seen in entertainment spheres, such as for weddings, birthdays, valentines’ day funerals & etc. and that it has no place in the judicial system, medical field, or any other. & that it does nothing except make people feel that temporary feeling of “aww” or “wow”, that it cannot heal or change a situation or cause some tangible miracle to happen. I think there’s a lot of misconceptions about poetry and poets and/or writers. For me, all of those but also that it’s boring. (haha) which I had someone actually tell me that literally, once when I told them I was a writer/poet. so, I mean… yeah. Nevertheless Poetry matters and is powerful.
III. What is your favorite thing about writing poems? In your writing process, what brings you the most happiness?
“I think some challenges are perpetual and will keep showing up but will look different & this ‘getting out of the box’ thing is one of them. ”
My favorite thing is when I've written something and then I forget about it so when I read it again..I have this moment of surprise like, wow I actually wrote this? it’s so humbling for me. I also love when the poem writes me. (haha) yes, a literal thing for me. I love when I’m writing and it’s like the poem is so alive it’s changes me and it haunts me in a beautiful way. So… I love the surprise. the good surprise and the repulsed surprise... (the surprise that is like, wow I can't believe I wrote this, I could write better than this..what the heck kind of metaphor is this what was I thinking).. it makes me smile and laugh.
What brings me the most happiness when it comes to my process I would say is the process, lol. There are times when I working on a poem and I'm so frustrated with it because it's not coming together how I imagined or how I feel it to be in my spirit and then when it finally comes together to something fresh and peaceable it's not just a relief feeling but it's joyous. It's that.. it's all worth it feeling. Also the simple fact that I'm a writer and I'm the writer that I am today makes me feel happy and humbles me. I don't think being a writer is for the faint of heart nor is it easy. It may be looked as lesser in our society but in my eyes it is a powerful ability, and gift. Sometimes, especially when I have a moment and I feel I wrote a really good poem, I just get filled with joy and I start praising God because my heart is like wow, I got entrusted with this ability. wow, I'm just the penholder but power comes out in the ink and my hand is in this. It's very beautiful to me because God could have gave me any other ability.. but he chose this one and what he chooses has immense purpose and value. Writers are fearfully and wonderfully made and writing is invaluable.
IV. What are your current writing challenges that you face? How do you or how have you dealt with solving them?
Besides revision in of itself, I think one of the main challenges I have is.. identifying the "box" my thinking is in, or my poem, or writing-- generally-- is in and then breaking out of it. It it easy to say, "think outside the box" or "do something out of the box" but the action of that looks different in various circumstances. You say that to someone and they will respond "okay" but they may not know what that box is. That box isn't always something cliché, sometimes it's a writerly habit, or words that we are in love with and use a lot, and sometimes the box is stealthy and you feel something is there but you can't figure out what it is. Also to point out, something I just thought of is.. what if that box you are telling someone to get out of isn't there box? what if what you see is your misconceptions, presumptions and what you in of yourself are used to that are creating a box that ain't supposed to be there and that's why it is easy for you to tell someone else to get out of the box... Also, that piece may be getting out of the box for them... it may be something new and different for them even though it isn't for you, so in that light, I think we should always use that phrase with caution and if we do use it, we should know what we mean and be ready with examples or suggestions to help the person to do it.
& I know attach to that question is, then how do you know when you've done it. For me personally, I think some writerly challenges are on going.. it's not like Yes, I've did it. now on to something else. I think some challenges are perpetually and will keep showing up but will look different & this getting out of the box thing is one of them. One of the ways I would say that I can gage if I've gotten out of the box for myself is.. if I did something that just makes no sense whatsoever but for some reason it works. Or if what I wrote or did-- for example, with form, completely surprises me. I think there are many ways to get out of the box and break down barriers but I also think the key isn't always getting out of it but it's identifying it. To add, the amazing thing about identifying the box is that you don't necessarily have to break out of it...you can do something mind-blowing or unique inside the box... after all that is the magic of traditional or formal poetry. If we're too irritated by the rules then we miss out on the magic that is within them.
V. If any of the New York School poets walked up to your last poem what do you think their reaction or response would be?
Hopefully speaking, O’hara would say, “it’s too hot. Our birth was given up to screaming.” And Ashbery would be like, “You see/ You hold me up to the light in a way/I should have never expected, or suspected, or perhaps/because you always tell me that I am you,/And right.” Barbara Guest might say, “something like images are here//opening up avenues to view a dome// a distant clang reaches the edifice.”