What do you find most difficult about writing poetry?
The most challenging part is entering a poetry project. I work best when I have a sturdy vessel that carries me. But first I have to build the vessel and every time, I’m thrust into beginner’s mind. It can take a long time to locate both a line of investigation and a form for pursing that investigation. While I’m waiting, I read avidly, consider many subject matters and try out various project ideas, all the while reminding myself that inhabiting the void for however long it takes is necessary in order to create new work. Sooner or later, one of my experiments develops traction, and I follow that for the length of a book or a chapbook.
At every point in the writing process I engage in a variety of practices: yoga, meditation, dance, drawing, reading across genres, watching documentaries and formally innovative films, attending dance and theater performances. I’ve always thought one of the great things about being an artist is that it’s an excuse to constantly expand yourself through active attention and participation in wellness and culture.
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