Why is poetry important?
For me, poetry can often make us see something, realize something, discover something, just in the reading of a short verse. That’s why I think it’s important. I’m looking for the “a-ha” moment that poems often give me, the delight and surprise I can feel when the poet makes me see something in a way that I hadn’t considered before. We need more a-ha moments. They force us to take a deeper look—at ourselves—and at what’s around us.
What do you feel poetry can accomplish that other forms can’t?
I don’t know that I want to compare poetry to other art forms in such a binary way. What I like about poetry is the ability it has to tell a story in a very, tight concise manner that can involve multiple layers and many details—through the use of words. I like the way it challenges me to make the story not only rich enough to hold the poem but also powerful enough to jolt the reader’s sensibilities—and to do so in a form that is so short. My goal is to get into the reader’s emotions, to get under his/her skin in that short space. And this is not always a given. It takes work and rework—and more rework. I like all of those ways that poetry challenges me—as a poet and as a reader.
How does your work first enter the world? Do you have a social group or writers’ group that you work ideas and poems with?
First it trots around in my head for a while. Then, when I finally write, it’s often a big dump. It just comes out, sometimes a bit chaotically. I usually write by hand to start with—into a journal that I really like (I have to really like the journal). I leave it there for a while and then go back to it, often scratching out bits and replacing them with other bits. Finally, once I have played with it enough, I type it up. And once it’s typed up, I usually send it to a poet friend I’ve been working with for about 10 years now. We comment on and critique each other’s work—and this process is so helpful. We have very different strengths—complementary in many respects, so the process is good for both of us. I have been in writers’ groups before—and they’ve always been helpful. But the greatest benefits come out of long-term synergy and not many multiple-person groups can commit to that over years.
Has your consideration of poetry changed since you began?
Yes, it has. I used to like writing about emotions—or perhaps I thought that poetry was about—or should be about. But as time went on, I realized that this did not satisfy me and that my poems needed to be grounded in time and place—but particularly place. I think setting is important. Of the poem—and of the poet while she is writing.
Photo credit: Bassam Sabbagh
How did you first engage with poetry?
I first engaged with poetry as a child. I remember reading a long poem version of the story of Pegasus and Bellerophon, which has always stuck with me. Then, as a teenager, I started writing poems about horses because I rode regularly. Images from my riding and dressage work melded with mythology and other influences. And then I started writing love poetry. It was terrible! I got over this phase and left poetry for a long while, to pursue journalism and then short fiction. I came back to poetry as an adult with a small child—and then became very committed, using it to explore the experiences of illness and motherhood. My practice grew from there.
