Kelli Stevens Kane : part five

What do you find most difficult about writing poetry?

I'm trying to finish a poem I started ten years ago. I haven't been working on it continuously, but I just made some progress. Ironically, what I find the most difficult is remembering the spirit of "playing with” a poem rather than "working on it” or "trying to finish” it.

Kelli Stevens Kane : part four

Why is poetry important?

Because we need passports we don’t have to apply for and the next thing you know you’re already back but—something's different.

Kelli Stevens Kane : part three

How does a poem begin?

Put your boots on. Step the blade of your shovel into the earth. You are the earth. No—you’re the shovel. I mean the boot. You’re the neighbor wondering why that jerk is digging up her tulips. I mean you’re a tulip. 

Kelli Stevens Kane : part two

How do you know when a poem is finished?

Pretend you’re dead. If you can rest in peace, the poem is done. If you’re still rolling in your grave? Not done. Be careful. You may get that RIP feeling and think you’re done. But if that rotisserie cranks up again? Get rolling. Also remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect. You just wanna be able to RIP.

Kelli Stevens Kane : part one

Kelli Stevens Kane is a poet, playwright, and oral historian. She’s the author of Hallelujah Science (Spuyten Duyvil, October 2020). Kane is a Cave Canem Fellow, an August Wilson Center Fellow, and a recipient of Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh grants from The Pittsburgh Foundation.  She's studied at VONA, Hurston/Wright, and Callaloo.  Her work has appeared in North American Review, Little Patuxent Review, Under a Warm Green Linden, Painted Bride Quarterly, African Voices, and Split This Rock. Kane has read her poetry and oral history, and performed her one woman show, Big George, nationally. For more info visit kellistevenskane.com.

How did you first engage with poetry?

Poetry engaged with me before I engaged back. When I was a child and other parents bragged about their kids, my dad would clap back that I wrote my first book of poetry at the age of three months. I have no idea why he picked this, of all achievements, but I imagine in doing so, he marked me for poetry.