What do you find most difficult about writing poetry?
I am a little rusty with poetry as of late but am trying to strengthen that muscle again, which is difficult. Poetry is most therapeutic for me when I writing to process intense emotion, which is evident through my old work, which was written through anger and anguish. I am trying to find a way to write without negativity though, as I learn to be more positive as a person.
What do you feel poetry can accomplish that other forms can’t?
When I write poetry, I feel that I am without boundaries. Poetry can extend beyond the words on the page, such as through the structure—knowing what breaths to take when reading, by the white space on a page, for example. With This I Can Tell You, I was able to address the reader within the text, as well as comment on the narrative. These aspects felt crucial, as the book discusses memory, perception, and reflection.
How does your work first enter the world? Do you have a social group or writers group that you work ideas and poems with?
I usually read all first drafts to my fiancé, as he is always just a room or two away. He’s my live-in editor. But I also share my work with a group of writer friends to workshop. Their critiques and line edits improve my writing, tenfold.
Has your consideration of poetry changed since you began?
When I first started writing poetry 11 years ago, I wrote short pieces with the intention of humor, stringing words together in silly scenarios. If one were to extract a line from poem, I wouldn’t have been able to explain it. Now, there is intention behind everything, as well as a better understanding of my own style, which borders poetry and prose; I no longer try to force form and I rarely stick to one genre.
What are you working on?
I have a few unfinished chapbooks that have been waiting on the sidelines for quite some time as I recently published my first book, This I Can Tell You, with Perennial Press. I am pushing those aside for now as I focus on writing every day, without intention. Outside of that, I am trying to improve my painting as I slowly learning color theory. I have also been making collages, paper, and hand-made journals.
