interesting, funny, and bright and beyond the lure of her written words. We've been friends on social media, and she is well worth following.
Is creativity a universal human trait? If so, where does it come from, or conversely, if it is not, why do some possess it, and others not?
My pet theory is that creativity is absolutely a universal human trait, probably one that we evolved with in order to make the most of our environment, and that a lot of the issues and maladaptive behaviors in our society are due to the way we too often raise children to believe that creativity isn’t important unless it can lead to fame and fortune. So too many people have divorced themselves from creativity as an essential part of life, and that makes them unhappy and even harmful. I find that when I get too obsessed with how much attention or money I’m getting for my writing, it’s time to shift focus to another creative avenue. I crochet and do other crafts or bake with my younger son, and those are things I can make and share with others but have zero desire to monetize.
How did you arrive upon becoming a poet? What events or interests let you to this, what talents do you see Poetry as requiring? Is poetry a writing form that can allow a writer of it to make a living?
I wrote my first poem when I was about eight, during the summer after I was in second grade. Our teacher made us copy some little rhyming quatrains whenever there was a holiday, and for whatever reason I decided I could make up my own. My parents always discouraged sitting around watching TV, so they gave me a three-ring binder full of paper, a freshly sharpened pencil, and instructions to go outside and do something. And I did.
I think poetry, like any form of writing, requires a deep-seated desire to expression one’s thoughts and questions and experiences through that medium. But it also requires patience and willingness to learn, and perhaps most importantly, to prioritize writing time over other things. Very few people make a living writing poetry; I certainly have no expectation of it for myself. And that means poets need to be able to fit their work in around other jobs and responsibilities. It’s not uncommon for someone, on hearing that I’m a writer, to exclaim, “I’ve always wanted to write!” That desire to tell stories is common to a lot of people; the difference between me and the wishful thinkers is that I try to sit down every day and do something that moves me closer to achieving my goals.
What poets form your influences? To what extent does reading poetry improve poetry writing, or does it? Does reading the work of others encourage your own work, or does it inhibit your writing, as it might with some writers?
I love reading other poets’ work, and the longer I write, the more I gain from enjoying and studying poems. I try to read widely, and not just focus on speculative poems, though many of the writers I most enjoy are also in that genre with me. I started out reading Robert Frost; he was my first poetic love, along with Shakespeare. I took a couple of great poetry classes in college which introduced me to a wider variety of work, and that exposed me to Elizabeth Bishop, W. B. Yeats, Mary Oliver and Raymond Carver, among others. I love the way even a brief poem can illuminate human experience in beautiful and startling ways. And when I realized that there was a whole field of publications which enjoyed the bizarre, magical, and horrific, it gave me new worlds to play in.
I hesitate to list the living writers who inspire me, because I’m afraid of leaving out important folks. One thing I love about speculative poetry is the welcoming community of editors and writers who do so much to lift up others.
I really think that if a writer finds it difficult to engage with and learn from others’ poetry, that’s a hindrance that needs careful consideration. Ultimately, it probably means writing isn’t the best creative avenue for that person, if they can’t read in their field. Each person’s art and craft balance between their own unique vision and that of other writers. Everything we write is a response, in some way, to other creative work, so ignoring what’s going on in the world of poetry will constrict the writer and rob them of fresh ideas and ways of thinking about poems. I recently wrote my first-ever pantoum because a friend published a poem of that type, I loved it, and I immediately wanted to learn how to do that myself. I’ve written poems in response to something I read, and I’ve been thrilled to have a couple of other poets respond to my work. It’s an ongoing conversation.
What do you accomplish by writing poetry? As I am a poet I know what it does for me, but I can tell you, whatever the world sees is one thing, what I see is another thing, so I am curious from a craft perspective what your own raison d'etre of poetry is.
There’s a joke where someone asks a writer why they write, and the response is, “It’s cheaper than therapy.” As with a lot of jokes, there’s some truth in that: first and foremost, I write because when I do, I’m happier and mentally healthier. I suspect in part it’s because writing gives me the ability to step back from things that are troubling or frustrating and put them in a different framework.
I also like the way that, through writing, I can build connections to others. It’s always interesting to see which poems catch the minds and hearts of particular readers—it offers insight into who they are and my relationship to them. Although at times it’s disappointing that poetry in general, and my poems in particular, aren’t as widely read as they perhaps deserve, at the same time it lends an intimacy to the experience of sharing verse.
Beyond that, I think my raison d’etre for writing is a goal that’s constantly moving and growing. One of the things I love most about writing is that I will never reach a point where there’s nothing to learn, nothing new to create. Being willing to embrace the uncertainty and my own lack of knowledge and experience means endless opportunities for growth. I can keep writing for as long as my mind and body hold out, and to me, that’s a really hopeful thought.
Tell me about your Patreon and future plans?
I started my Patreon [Poetry from a Crow is creating verse with a mythological twist | Patreon] a couple years ago, just to see if it would work for me. Like a lot of writers, I procrastinate, and my big fear was that I wouldn’t be able to hit regular, self-imposed deadlines for my patrons. But in fact, the opposite turned out to be the case: during the worst of the pandemic, too many people I know really struggled with creativity. But for me, having a few loyal readers who were willing to pay monthly to read my work gave me the push I needed to keep working. Obviously that doesn’t work for everyone, but I’ve been grateful to friends who’ve read and commented so it feels a little less like I’m hollering into a yawning void when I write.
It’s gone so well that I’ve added regular reviews of speculative poetry venues and audio recordings to my monthly offerings, as well as new poems that patrons get to read first and regular essays about revising, critiquing, and other elements of writing life.
I’m currently putting together a chapbook. I send a postcard poem to my highest-level patrons each month, and because they’re the only ones who’ve seen most of those poems, I wanted to reward all my patrons by assembling two years’ worth into a single document. I even purchased artwork from a friend to illustrate it, which added a fun new element to the project. Patrons will get a free copy, but I’ll also make it available for non-patrons to buy.
I’ve also got a full-length collection in process, called The Museum of Cursed Objects. It combines my fascination with archeological treasures, my thoughts on the impact of colonialism and other social issues, and my love of all things weird and creepy. I need to write a few more poems for that and revise. It’s different from my first two poetry collections in that it’s mostly brand-new poetry, and all written to a very specific theme. I’m excited to get that ready and hopefully find a publisher who loves the idea as much as I do.
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