Darren C. Demaree : part five

How does a poem begin?

It depends on the kind of poem.  I do big research projects that require a lot of work before I write the first poem.  There are abstract sequences that really just need that first phrase or image to get going.  Sometimes it’s just listening to the right music.  If you can begin the poem with a burst of energy it can carry you deep into the work.  You might have to cut the lines that come with the energy in the editing process, but their value is undeniable in the process.  My favorite poems begin and hold on to the energy all the way through.

Darren C. Demaree : part four

How important is music to your poetry?

The music and energy of the poem can be a driving force of the work.  The presence or absence of the music in each poem is one of the first feelings the reader picks up on.  It can be a tricky proposition depending on the tone of the piece, but if you can nail the music of it the poem might transcend the narrative, the landscape, the abstraction, etc.

Darren C. Demaree : part three

What poets changed the way you thought about writing?

Aase Berg, Kazim Ali, Ruth Awad, Maggie Smith, Hanif Abdurraqib, Charles Simic, Wanda Coleman…All of these poets have played a major role in my thoughts on poetry in the last couple of years.

Darren C. Demaree : part two

Has your consideration of poetry changed since you began?

It definitely has.  Exploring and experimenting with different kinds of poetry is incredibly important to the development of any poet.  Once you find your “voice”, once you start to write your best poems, I think you have to find a way to mess with the process.  If you don’t keep trying new things, you’ll eventually just start to parrot your old work.  Trying new topics, new forms, new rules or zero rules, can twist the tether of your work in fascinating ways.

Darren C. Demaree : part one

Darren C. Demaree is the author of eight poetry collections, most recently Two Towns Over, which was selected the winner of the Louise Bogan Award from Trio House Press.  He is the Managing Editor of the Best of the Net Anthology and Ovenbird Poetry.  He is currently living in Columbus, Ohio with his wife and children.

What are you working on?

I’m currently eighty or so poems into a sequence called “bone requires bone”.  I wanted to find a way to address the world of abuse and abusers.  I have had my own experiences with violent men, and it felt like a long meditation on the subject might be cathartic for me and maybe for others that have had similar experiences.