Wombwell Rainbow Interviews

I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me. I gave the writers two options: an emailed list of questions or a more fluid interview via messenger.

The usual ground is covered about motivation, daily routines and work ethic, but some surprises too. Some of these poets you may know, others may be new to you. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do.

David Russomano

David Russomano’s poetry has been nominated for The Pushcart Prize, long-listed for The Brian Dempsey Memorial Prize, and featured in over 40 publications, including The Missouri Review, The Worcester Review, and SoFloPoJo. In 2014, Kingston University awarded him the Faber & Faber Creative Writing MA Prize. He is the author of (Reasons for) Moving [Structo Press] and Caught Light [Friends of Alice]. To learn more, visit https://davidrussomano.wordpress.com/

The Interview

1. When and why did you start writing poetry?

I grew up in a relatively religious family and went to a Christian summer camp for several years when I was younger. There were nightly chapel services and a weekly talent show. It seemed like everyone and their brother could play guitar and I was eager to join in. What was probably one of my first poems was intended to be a song for one of those talent shows, but I couldn’t play the guitar yet and didn’t have the time to get someone else to add music, so I just read it like a poem. Later, in high school, I started a band. I played guitar, sang, and wrote most of the lyrics. I didn’t really start writing poetry as such until I was in college. Even then, as I graduated in 2006, I couldn’t get a decent writing sample together for an MFA program, partially because I hadn’t settled on poetry or fiction. From 2008 to 2011, when I was teaching English abroad, I got some crucial encouragement from co-workers who were also creative writers. I still wanted to pursue further education and settled on poetry because it seemed to come more naturally to me and/or I seemed to be better at it. My fiction hadn’t amounted to much, but I was able to build up enough momentum with my poetry to eventually get into an MA program.

I feel like this has turned into an answer to “How did you end up writing poetry?” as opposed to “why did you start?” Maybe, the short answer is, I don’t know why I started, but hopefully that’s OK.

2. Who introduced you to poetry?

I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me that before. And I don’t think I know the answer. I could tell you who all four of my high school English teachers were and even list off a decent number of the prose books we read, but I couldn’t be sure of a single poet or poem we studied. Nothing sticks out. College was a little different in the sense that I had a few teachers who actually were poets and taught entire courses dedicated to poetry, but it doesn’t seem right to say that they introduced me to poetry. I must’ve already been familiar with it. I think some people have an ‘Aha’ moment where poetry finally clicks for them, but if I had one, I can’t remember it.

2.1. What’s the first poem you can remember?

Man, you seem to ask all of the toughest memory-based questions. Again, I don’t really know. I’m sure that in school, I covered poems like The Red Wheelbarrow, Pied Beauty, God’s Grandeur, Ozymandias, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, and The Road Not Taken. I imagine there was a Shakespearean sonnet in there somewhere as well. But I couldn’t tell you exactly when I encountered any of these. Of course, before this, there must’ve been some nursery rhymes or children’s books, but none come to mind.

3. How aware are and were you of the dominating presence of older poets traditional and contemporary?

Well, that seems to be at least a two part question. As far as the ‘how aware was I?’ part of the question, I feel like it was all that I was aware of initially. Being introduced to poetry in a school setting, you get saddled with the same set of anthologised poets over and over, at least to some extent. Or, you hear a short list of names and you learn that they’re supposed to be the greats, regardless of whether or not you learn why they’re meant to be great. You don’t look at anything like what could be called ‘lesser known’ poets, presumably because there just isn’t time. In college, I had to have an enormous two volume anthology of poetry and we really didn’t cover very much of it. So, even the big anthologies get pared down to the bare minimum.

But, how aware am I of the dominating presence of older poets now? That’s hard to say. I’m definitely more engaged with poetry at a grassroots level now. I participate in local open mics, which are either run by smaller publishers or poets who have released books with smaller publishers. The poetry I’m reading now is often by the poets I meet or in the little journals I appear in. So, it’s not necessarily that I’m less aware of the big name poets who dominate, as much as I’m more aware of lesser known poets.

I’m not sure exactly how dominated I feel by the lingering presence of older poets one way or the other. There’s certainly a sense of influence, but beyond that, I guess I’d need some more concrete examples to fully understand what you mean by dominating presence.

4. What is your daily writing routine?

Unfortunately, it isn’t daily and it isn’t particularly routine. I work a full-time desk job and I have a young daughter, so I have to squeeze my writing in where/when I can. Usually, when I get a chance to write, it’s in the evening between my daughter’s bedtime and my own. That’s after I’ve prepped my breakfast and lunch for the next day, done the dishes from dinner, and taken care of any other random jobs. Sometimes that leaves me a little time in front of my laptop and sometimes it doesn’t. At the weekends, I try to write a little during her midday nap, but there are often other tasks at hand. Sometimes, I write a little during my lunch break at work. Apart from all of this, I carry a small pocket notebook (a practice I’ve maintained since I became an English major in college) and if any ideas come to me, I try to write them down right away so that I don’t lose them.

5. What motivates you to write?

I feel like I could answer this in two different ways and I’m not sure which would be more true to the spirit of the question.

If you’d like to know what inspires me to write:

Much of my writing is what I think of as reactionary. It draws from things that I’ve personally encountered in my travels and daily life. Other times, an idea comes to me of its own accord and develops into a poem without any basis in my own experience. But, both of these approaches often have a common underlying concern: mortality. For me, my best poems are a matter of life and death. I’m preoccupied with the fact that things wear down, that they have endings, that they’re finite. In that sense, I think that the finite nature of things is a source of inspiration.

On the other hand, if you’d like to know what actually motivates me to do the physical act of writing/typing:

That’s a much harder question. I suppose sometimes, when I know I have an idea, I’m driven by the urge to see it developed into its final form, to see it grow into what I imagine it can be. That’s exciting. Other times, it’s hard. And it’s work. And it’s, hard work. Bukowski was famous for saying “Don’t try”, but I break that rule regularly. So, why do I break that rule? Why bother trying when it all seems to be an uphill slog? I’m not sure. Maybe I’m desperate to justify my own existence with creative output. Maybe I’m also desperate to leave some sort of record or legacy, as cliche as that is. I don’t think I fully understand my own motivations. But I have found that I understand something better when I explain it to someone else, so maybe some of my writing is an attempt to do just that – to turn an idea into something I can actually understand.

6. How do the writers you read when you were young influence you today?

This is somewhat difficult to answer, partially because I don’t think I read anywhere near enough poetry when I was young and partially because I’ve probably forgotten many of the poets that I actually read. But I suppose I can trace many of my current poetic priorities back to what I covered in school. This includes things that I aim for, as well as things that I dislike. For example, I remember covering confessional poets on one hand and Imagism on the other.

Teaching confessional poetry to inexperienced students is dangerous. Kids can get an over-simplified idea of what the confessional poets were doing i.e. my life is bad and I’m going to whine to you about it. This either turns people off to poetry or emboldens them to write bad poetry. Many amateur poets never seem to grow out of this ‘me, me, me’ type of writing, but I strive to avoid it. While many of my poems are inspired by own experiences, the experiences are central and the fact that they happened to me is only peripheral. Imagism helped me understand the importance of elevating the ‘what’ over the ‘who’. “No ideas but in things”, as W.C. Williams said.

Though I don’t necessarily have a good example to hand, I’m sure that I encountered plenty of unintelligible poems in my school days and it didn’t exactly encourage me into the world of verse. I don’t think that poetry should be dumbed down per se and I believe that experimentation can be valid, but there’s nothing to gain from driving readers away with excessively difficult poetry. When people tell me that my work is approachable, I take it as a great compliment. One aspect of my work that I think draws people in and makes them comfortable is its narrative quality.

I’d say the poet from my education who’s most directly influenced me has to be Robert Frost. I respect the way that he brought engaging narratives to life with crisp imagery and fresh figurative language. His influence on my work might not always be obvious, but it probably isn’t hard to miss either.

7. Who of today’s writers do you admire the most and why?

Assuming we’re talking about poets, I’m impressed by anyone who makes a living as anything that could be loosely described as a ‘literary figure’. It’s very difficult to turn poetry into something financially viable, even if you combine it with an academic career and/or writing in other genres (novels, plays, songs, articles, non-fiction, etc.), so I admire anyone who’s been able to pull that off. I also admire people who achieve the rank of poet laureate, like Carol Ann Duffy and Simon Armitage. I know this position is a problematic one, so much so that some poets have actually turned it down, but I think there’s something to be said for any nation that even bothers to preserve such a role and any individual brave enough to be the face/voice of that aspect of a nation’s cultural life. Stylistically, I appreciate Duffy’s ability to utilise single word sentences, using those words almost like a form of punctuation. This lends her work a punchiness that’s very effective. I’ve also been struck by some of Jorie Graham’s work, mainly because it’s so different from my own. I read it and think, “Oh, you’re doing something I might not ever be able to do and you’re doing it very well.” I read two of her collections and found them difficult, but rewarding. On the other hand, I heard her read something from her collection P L A C E and I didn’t enjoy it at all. I guess you can’t expect anyone’s work to be consistent. Beyond that, I hardly feel well-read enough to comment on many contemporary authors’ work or careers. But, there is a man named Aaron Weiss who fronts the band mewithoutYou. I’ll be the first to acknowledge that a songwriter is not the exact same thing as a poet, but Weiss’s lyrics have often impressed me more than most poems I’ve read.

8. What would you say to someone who asked you “How do you become a writer?”

Because this is such a complicated question, I would respond by saying “Be more specific”. When people say that they want to know how to become a writer, they can mean different things. The simplest level of inquiry can be answered in the simplest way. If all you want to know is how to become a writer, then all you have to do is write. In some sense, anyone who writes (creatively and with intent, not just jotting down shopping lists and memos) is by default, a writer. This might seem dismissive, evasive, or banal, but I think that many people don’t realise that THEY’RE ALREADY WRITERS. They’re writing, but they’re waiting for some magical watershed moment before they actually call their work ‘writing’. That magical moment doesn’t exist. Conversely, there are some people who spend an inordinate amount of time thinking and talking about writing, but never actually do it. These people might have great ideas, but they’re not writers. They’re too paralysed by false conceptions of what will legitimise their efforts. Don’t be one of them. If you want to write, start writing. If you’ve got the urge, then bad writing is better than no writing.

Which leads on to the next point. Some people want to know how to become a ‘good’ writer. That is a much harder question. There’s no simple answer. If the person asking me thinks of me as a good writer (whether or not I deserve that accolade) and I can refer to my own experience, I’d say it isn’t so much about becoming a good writer as it is becoming a BETTER writer. There was a definite point in time, I think around the middle of my 2nd year of college/university, when I decided to seriously pursue writing. To that end, I made a few decisions:

1. In order to be ready for inspiration, I started to carry a small notebook at all times. I’ve been doing it ever since and I’m up to pocket notebook number 40. When you have a great idea and you swear you’ll remember it, but you don’t, it’s an awful feeling. Do what you can to avoid it. I suppose some people use their phones for this now, so do whatever works for you.

2. It’s been said that you should “write what you know”,  so I told myself that I better make what I know more interesting. That’s why I started travelling and living abroad. Expanding the breadth and depth of your experiential knowledge is extremely beneficial. Of course, nothing is mundane to the well-trained eye, but what training is effective? How can you gain a fresh perspective on what seems stale? Look away, then turn back. It’s not the only method, but it’s worth a try.

3. Oddly enough, I wasn’t much of a reader in my younger years. I felt like I read too slowly and that discouraged me. But after college courses forced me to read more quickly and I realised I could actually do it, I began to read more voraciously. I took it on as a personal challenge. I wanted to read those who were allegedly great and see what the fuss was all about. I wanted recommendations from friends. I wanted to catch up on what I’d missed. I wanted to give myself a good foundation for my own work. It’s something I’m still working on now.

I’ve also had to develop a healthier attitude towards editing and editors. It’s been said that you should “kill your darlings”, but when I was younger, I wasn’t ready to take this on board. Like many immature writers, I didn’t respond well to critiques of my writing. But, now I have a far greater appreciation of the process. Start with bad work. Don’t be afraid to share it (with people who know what they’re talking about). Listen to them. Edit like your writing life depends on it, because it does. Draft, draft, and re-draft. Rarely, someone will tell you to cut something that you should keep. You have to develop your intuition enough to know when to say no. But most of the time, the editor is right.

I could actually go on, but this response has become ungodly long already.

9. Tell me about the writing projects you have on at the moment.

I’m in the middle of several stalled poems. One of them, an experimental sort of erasure poem, has the potential to turn into something larger, but I’ve been struggling with it on and off for over a year. I hoped to finish it in time for the WWI centenary, but couldn’t pull it together in time. In this piece, or series of pieces, I hope to take the specific words from the specific monument that’s closest to me and reconfigure those words to say something meaningful about the war in general. I may have set the bar to high for myself though. I’m not sure yet.

What I’m really focusing my energy on though is two novels. One of them is a fantasy novel inspired by characters I drew when I was a kid. I go back and forth between wanting to present the story simply, almost as a fairy tale, and wanting to convey it in a more sophisticated way, like within a frame narrative of a father making it up for his child at bed time. My other novel idea is a sort of hard boiled dystopian Sci-Fi detective novel. I keep going back and forth between the two, which means that neither are anywhere near complete, but I’m keen to finish at least one of them.

Wombwell Rainbow Interviews

I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me. I gave the writers two options: an emailed list of questions or a more fluid interview via messenger.

The usual ground is covered about motivation, daily routines and work ethic, but some surprises too. Some of these poets you may know, others may be new to you. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do.

Amanda Reeves aka Enola Revfore

Born and raised in Dallas Texas, Amanda is a petsitter for Rover.com. She started writing when she was nine years old, and has been writing ever since. She longs to travel, see the world and experience all that she can while writing. She has guest posted for RTOR, and has recently been published in Fevers of the Mind Poetry Digest.

Her website is https://amandareeveswrites.wordpress.com/my-blog/

The Interview

What inspired you to write poetry?

Good question! When I was a kid I use to write my own song lyrics and I would sing them. I was a great singer, but when I sang on stage for the first time in front of a crowd, I hated it and I just wanted it to be over. I got tons of compliments, so I didn’t understand why I felt this way, but I thought about it for a while; I realized that with my lack of people skills, and my constant need to escape, I just wasn’t cut out to be a musician. I mourned this realization for a very long time, but once I accepted it, I focused more on writing poetry and fiction.

Who introduced you to poetry?

I was never actually introduced to poetry, it just came naturally to me. I was never into reading much as a kid, it was all about singing and songwriting. My family, most of my teachers, and various counselors didn’t support my writing because they didn’t like the content. However, I did have a huge crush on Eminem! So I guess if anyone introduced me to poetry, it was him.

How aware were you of the dominating presence of older poets?

Hmmm, I don’t think I was very aware at all. I was very disconnected when I was younger, so I just didn’t care. I was over medicated, over weight, severely suicidal and depressed; and what made things worse is I was in and out of psychiatric hospitals for most of my childhood. I had a lot of trouble in school, so it wasn’t until my early 20’s when I began understand how valuable reading is, especially for writers.

What is your daily writing routine?

It depends, it’s hard to have a time during the day where I’m able to have privacy, so normally I end up writing at midnight and I’m up until 3am.

What motivates you to write?

I guess the simplest way to put it is, I become motivated when my mind begins to turn against me. When I become self loathing and I start to think about how horrible the world is, especially the people on it, when I start to think about how untrustworthy family is, or how much of a mistake I feel I am; I have to write! I create a world I feel I can fit into or don’t exist in, I put some of my darkest thoughts on paper so that I can organize them, be aware of them, then let them go. I can put my words out there for other people to read, so that I know I’m not the only person that feels that way, and others don’t need to feel so alone either. Regardless of how misanthropic I feel most of the time, I do crave human connection.

What is your work ethic?

It varies, I try to finish one project at a time but it usually never turns out that way. I criticize and beat myself up over it pretty hard, but I end up working on multiple projects at a time anyway. Some stories, poems, and articles just sit for a while until I feel motivated to go back to them. I keep going and keep trying, but it’s agonizingly slow. I just have to keep reminding myself that I have to do the best I can, because that’s all anyone has. One thing I’ve learned from many writing groups, I’m not the only writer working on multiple projects and struggling to finish them! Remembering that helps me feel less down on myself.

How do the writers you read when you were young influence you today?

Most of my influences came from musicians, it my teen years I looked up to strong female forces that I wanted to be, but never felt I was capable. A couple of my favorites were Otep and Emilie Autumn, it wasn’t until I was an adult that I found out they were writers as well, and I absolutely loved them!

Who of today’s writers do you admire the most and why?

I admire independent writers who struggle to be recognized for their art. I’ve been told on many occasions that nobody reads anymore and it’s very discouraging, but completely untrue. A lot of people are under educated, yes! I know this because, well…I’m one of them. However, under educated people read too. I’ve met them and if you were to talk to them, you would never actually know how under educated they were. What’s even more surprising is many of them are writers as well! Many of them are mentally ill, many of them struggle with comprehension and retaining information, many of them struggle in different areas of education that American public schooling isn’t willing to provide, but those people still try! I’m one of those people and I read, write and more importantly, I try.

Why do you write, as opposed to doing anything else?

I write because writing is the one thing that has kept me from being illiterate, if I never started writing, I would’ve never started reading. I do get the urge to do arts and crafts occasionally, but writing is the one thing that I’m the most talented at. Plus, as opposed to arts and crafts or playing music, it’s not as costly financially. Not to mention, you can learn so much from writing! If your going to write a historical fiction, you have to learn more about history. If your going to write sci-fi, learning a bit more about science may help you. Writing gives me an opportunity to learn about things that I wasn’t able to learn in school.

What would you say to someone who asked you “How do you become a writer?”

Read, write, and learn as much as possible! If you’re not writing, read. If you don’t know something, then research the topic. That’s really the best advice I can give an aspiring writer.

Tell me about the writing projects you have on at the moment.

Well, my main project is getting decades of poetry published. I’m working on a few essays on the topic of mental health, I have a blog I’m trying to build on, I have some fanfics that I’m working on as well. I don’t care if people look down on fanfiction, personally I think it’s great writing practice!

Wombwell Rainbow Interviews

I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me. I gave the writers two options: an emailed list of questions or a more fluid interview via messenger.

The usual ground is covered about motivation, daily routines and work ethic, but some surprises too. Some of these poets you may know, others may be new to you. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do.

Callan Waldron-Hall

is a Liverpool-based writer. His poetry has appeared in Orris Root, Magma and In the Red. His project exploring ASMR featured in Post-it, Liverpool Independents Biennial anthology 2018. His forthcoming pamphlet ‘learning to be very soft’ with The Poetry Business won the New Poets Prize 2018/19. He edits Independent Variable, an online science-themed poetry magazine.

The Interview

1. When and why did you start writing poetry?

I think I wrote my first ‘poem’ in 2012. I didn’t really know anything about poetry at the time (and arguably still don’t know that much!).

When I began studying creative writing in 2014 at Liverpool John Moores University, I was initially quite resistant to the idea of studying an entire module of poetry. I thought it would be all highbrow, over-my-head writing I’d have to pretend to ‘get’.

I had really brilliant tutors: Helen Tookey, Andrew McMillan, Seán Hewitt and Carola Luther, who taught me anything can be poetry, and helped me understand what I was trying to dig at through my own poems.

I fell into writing poetry because I love the freedom of it. As a reader, I like consuming an entire event, a world, in just one page, digesting it, returning later, discovering something new.

I think this is why I write poetry, too. When I write, I try to distil whatever it is I’m writing about as much as I can. For me, poetry provides this space that lets me really play around with themes and ideas in a way where I feel I still have a handle on things.

1.1 What led you to study creative writing?

I sort of fell into studying creative writing — I had plans to study medicine, but really bombed my chemistry exams.

I didn’t know you could study writing at degree level, so when I found out I absolutely had to do it! That decision introduced me to a whole network of like-minded people and gave me friends for life. It’s since led on to me studying an MA in poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University. Studying as a ‘writer’ was a lot of things I expected it to be, but it was also a lot of things I didn’t expect, too.

I think I’ll always hang on to the scientist in me. I often use scientific principles and ideas as a springboard for my own work and it’s what helped create Independent Variable, my little corner of the internet where we champion science-themed poetry.

1.2. Why did you absolutely have to do it?

Telling stories has been a part of my life from as far back as I can remember. Once for a school project we had a to write a story — I drew out a map (tea-bagged and burned edges, of course), bound (all five pages!) of the book*, drew my front cover and added a blurb. I put 100% of myself into that project… I think it’s that idea of creating something — an artefact — that lives on beyond yourself that really drew me to writing and sharing stories.

*It was called ‘Elements: the Ties that Bind’

2. How aware are and were you of the dominating presence of older poets traditional and contemporary?

Oh back then I’d say completely unaware. There were stories I loved but couldn’t have told you why or what it was about them that made them special to me. Studying writing helped me read — stories, poems — from a different point of view, where I was able to figure out what it was I admired so much about particular characters, passages of text, and how I could apply them to my own work.

I’d confidently say I’m pretty naive when it comes to being aware of older traditional poets. I was always naive, but at least I’m aware of it now. I studied a module on 20th century poetry for my MA and that helped me get a general idea on how it’s shaped what we see today. I’m still way, way off calling myself any sort of expert, but I now I know what I love and why!

3. What is your daily writing routine?

On paper, it’s wake up early, read a few pages of whatever I’m currently reading, then perhaps play around with whatever notes I’ve made from the previous day.

In reality, most days I won’t start writing until about midnight. Of course I’m too stubborn to leave whatever I’m working on until the next day, so I’ll stay up much later than need be, then be too tired the following day to do my on-paper routine.

My work schedule is quite irregular, so I suppose a lot of the time my writing routine is in response to that. I think the trick is taking the moments to write when you’ve got them.

4. What motivates you to write?

Recently my writing’s been motivated by this sort self-interrogation of my childhood influences. I’ve been watching a load of shows I watched as a child (big up Digimon and Sailor Moon) and have been thinking about which characters I identified with, how they helped shape me, that sort of thing.

I’m also really keen to explore the language we use when talking about digital spaces and how we can bring that into poetry. I’m super interested in this idea that we can be affected by events taking place in a digital space (like social media, instant messenger, video games) and how these events exist without having a physical body. I hope that makes sense, because I’m still figuring it out — ha!

5. How do the writers you read when you were young influence you today?

I’d say the authors I read when I was younger really made me receptive to the unknown. I read a lot of fantasy (as most children/YA do!) and one series in particular stuck with me: Julia Golding’s Companion’s Quartet, which blended low fantasy with mythology and was at the time, everything I was super interested in. It’s a bit odd but I still remember this line: ‘he swore colourfully’ ( or something like that). It was one of the first times I’d encountered swearing (and using colourfully as an adverb!) and looking back now, was maybe the first time I’d enjoyed reading for more than just the story. I remember stopping for a moment and re-reading the line, almost amazed at how indirect yet to the point this phrase was. Does that make sense?

6. Who of today’s writers do you admire the most and why?

Poetry-wise, I’ve been really enjoying Emily Berry’s work the past few years — Stranger, Baby is a collection I’ve visited over and over. There are some brilliant poems in there — I love ‘Aqua’ and ‘Tidal Wave Speaks’. Berry writes the sort of poems where after you’ve read them you think ‘ah – I wish I’d written that!’

Also Fiona Benson’s most recent collection. I’m interested in this idea of using poetry to recontexualise well-known stories and ideas… I’ve been wanting to do something along the lines of this but with some sort of digital landscape for a while, and I think Benson handles her themes with real confidence and patience.

7. What would you say to someone who asked you “How do you become a writer?”

Write! Everyone has a story to tell, no matter how you tell it — it might not even be through writing.

For me, it’s important to be in a group of people sharing poetry — poems they love, their own work etc. I just feel being in that head space (even for an hour a week!) gets me thinking about words for the rest of the week. When I’m expecting to engage with/ have recently spent time poetry, I’m more attuned to what could potentially become a poem. I suppose it has me thinking like a ‘writer’.

Also read! Read anything you can get your hands on. Figure out what writing you like and what you don’t like (and then ask yourself why).

Final thing — don’t expect it to happen overnight. I said something similar earlier on, but I really am naive when it comes to writing (and that’s okay). Everyone’s always learning something new.

8. Tell me about the writing projects you have on at the moment.

My debut pamphlet ‘learning to be very soft’ is forthcoming with The Poetry Business in 2020. I won their new Poets Prize 2018/19, and am receiving a year of mentoring, with the final result being the pamphlet. I’m really excited to see where my poetry goes!

My other, ongoing project is Independent Variable. I’d love to produce a second issue! Science is still a big influence on my own work and it would be great to explore and celebrate how STEM subjects are influencing other writers too.

Here is the new invitation I will be offering writers for interview:

Would you be interested in taking part in a series of interviews with poets, fiction writers and spoken word artists that I will put on my WordPress, Twitter and Facebook accounts? It can take the form of either
1) a list of questions by email you can take away and complete, then email back to me or
2) a more fluid conversation via messenger or email.
3) A conversation about your latest book.

Your choice.
https://thewombwellrainbow.com/

Wombwell Rainbow Interviews

I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me. I gave the writers two options: an emailed list of questions or a more fluid interview via messenger.

The usual ground is covered about motivation, daily routines and work ethic, but some surprises too. Some of these poets you may know, others may be new to you. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do.

Samuel Strathman

is a Jewish/Canadian poet and educator who was diagnosed with a non-verbal learning dis/ability at the age of seven. Some of his poems are forthcoming in The Elixir Magazine, Talking About Strawberries All of the Time, and on the Chaudiere Books’ blog. He lives in Toronto, Ontario with his cats Archie and China.

The Interview

1. When and why did you start writing poetry?

What inspired me to write poetry was the basic need to express myself. I am a quiet person who has had to suppress a lot, and poetry has been, and continues to be a guiding force behind my happiness. As long as I am creating, I’m living.

2. Who introduced you to poetry?

My grade six teacher introduced me to poetry, she was a fan of Emily Dickinson to the point where we almost forgot about Edgar Allen Poe.

3. How aware are and were you of the dominating presence of older poets traditional and contemporary?

I only became aware of older poets when I got myself immersed into the whole scene. Bill Bissett, Jericho Brown, Denez Smith, Michael Longley, Anne Michaels, Rob McLennan, Stuart Ross, Catherine Graham, Jeff Kirby, Robin Robinson. Not all of these people are “old poets” but they have garnered success, and I know that more than a few names are missing here.

4. What is your daily writing routine?

My daily writing routine is between a half hour and an hour a day if I am lucky. I work with little children, so most of my energy has to go towards that. Writing is self-care for me, and the truth is that there is no such thing as work/life balance. That is made up.

5. What motivates you to write?

What motivates me to write is nature and a love of nature. I take the politics out of my writing because I am not trying to lead a generation. All I am trying to do is make the most out of special moments that I have, and if other people think what I have to say is cool, than so be it. If people do not care, then that is fine with me too. I write for me, because everyone has to channel their inner creativity somehow.

6. What is your work ethic?

Read, read, read, write. Read, read, read, write.

7. How do the writers you read when you were young influence you today?

The writers that I read when I was younger were very precise. Matsuo Basho, Li Po, Ono No Komachi. Many wrote Haiku. Haiku can be very understated. If my work fits in the category of understated, then that would be a huge compliment to me. These poets have influenced my work by keeping my poems short but to the point, something that will stick with the writer.

8. Whom of today’s writers do you admire the most and why?

A lot has changed recently. I really admire Shannon Bramer, Stuart Ross, Jeff Kirby, Chris Banks, Edward Anki, Kkm Fahner, Mary Oliver, Louise Gluck, and Charles Simic to name a few. These are some of the many voices that make me laugh and cry, and remember what it is to be human in a world overflowing with technology. Stuart Ross, Chsrles Simic and Edward Anki keep me laughing while also providing me with harsh truths. Chris Banks and Shannon Bramer keep me asking a lot of rhetorical questions that help me as a writer. Mary Oliver and Louise Gluck are like wise old oracles.

9. Why do you write, as opposed to doing anything else?

I write because I used to be sick and now I am better. I have a way to speak without being interrupted every ten seconds which is a lot nicer than the real world.

10. What would you say to someone who asked you “How do you become a writer?”

How to become a writer? Write every day, even if you think it is garbage. Even if you are worn to the bone. Let the emotions out. Hold back nothing.

11. Tell me about the writing projects you have on at the moment.

I have my first chapbook on the go. I have no idea what I am doing, but somebody out there thinks I do, and they told me so. What fun!

Wombwell Rainbow Interviews

I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me. I gave the writers two options: an emailed list of questions or a more fluid interview via messenger.

The usual ground is covered about motivation, daily routines and work ethic, but some surprises too. Some of these poets you may know, others may be new to you. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do.

Christine Sloan Stoddard

is a Salvadoran-American author, artist, and the founder of Quail Bell Magazine. Her books include Belladonna Magic: Spells In The Form of Poetry And Photography (Shanti Arts), Water for the Cactus Woman (Spuyten Duyvil), Hispanic and Latino Heritage in Virginia (The History Press), and other titles. Her art and writing have appeared in Ms. Magazine, The Feminist Wire, Bustle, Cosmopolitan, Native Peoples Magazine, Yes! Magazine, Teen Vogue, The Social Justice Review, Marie Claire, and elsewhere. A graduate of VCUarts and The City College of New York-CUNY, Stoddard lives in Brooklyn with her husband and a dead cactus.

Her website is https://WorldOfChristineStoddard.com.

The Interview

1. What inspired you to write poetry?

It came out of an impulse and, now a habit, to share and tell stories. I have two younger siblings and grew up telling them stories. I wrote mini books and magazines, from storybooks to comics to fashion catalogs, and sold them to the little Stoddards for a dime, maybe a quarter for a real tome. Clearly, capitalism had already taken root—though even tiny me had no illusions about getting rich from poetry. Today I continue to write across genres and forms, but poetry is my heart’s song.

2. Who introduced you to poetry?

My mother. She was the first one to champion reading and introduce all kinds of books to me, including collections of children’s poetry. Shel Silverstein was a beloved poet in my home; I think many people of my generation (and others!) can relate to that. My mother, who is originally from El Salvador and speaks English as a second language, loves British fairy tales and American folklore, so my siblings and I read a lot of poetry in that vein. Apart from her interest in the content, I’m sure my mother was just excited to learn about Anglophone cultures. Her enthusiasm was contagious. I remember her taking U.S. citizenship classes when I was little and reading books with me to practice her English. A collection I still adore from that period is The Real Mother Goose by Blanche Fisher Wright. After all, nursery rhymes are poems! But as much as I credit my mother for infecting me with the reading bug, it was my kindergarten teacher who first encouraged me to write a poem. She sat at the computer and typed up whatever I dictated. I was hooked. Thank you, Mrs. Doud, wherever you are now.

3. How aware were you of the dominating presence of older poets?

I didn’t think of them as dominating or intimidating. I thought of them as inspiring, even magical. I knew from a young age that I wanted to possess the same spell-binding powers they had. That doesn’t mean I always maintain full confidence in my abilities. I still doubt myself, but I never underestimate the importance of hard work. Elbow grease, baby!

4. What is your daily writing routine?

I write everyday, though it’d be farfetched to call my practice a routine. My process changes day by day, depending upon what else I have to do and where I need to be. I write in various notebooks, on two different computers (not to mention public ones at libraries and wherever else), and even on my phone. As much as I like the idea of forming a ritual, I’m suspicious of cultivating one. I’m afraid it would hinder me from actually writing. My current lifestyle doesn’t allow really allow for a precious routine and I’m fine with that. AmeriCorps and journalism experience taught me to get things done. Deadlines aren’t often discussed in the poetry world, but I do make them a habit in my practice, no matter how many times I have to renegotiate and extend them. I’m always most productive during residencies, when I have “a room of my own,” but that is to be expected. Yet I don’t let less than ideal circumstances prevent me from writing at home. Otherwise, I’d spend very little time actually writing. And I want to write. Truly.

5. What motivates you to write?

This question has always been difficult to answer. Quite simply, it makes me happy, even when it causes me anguish. Trust me, I’m aware of the contradiction. I just have an unstoppable urge to reflect and imagine and express myself. I know that it brings my loved ones a certain amount of pride; those closest to me are amazingly supportive, even when my work puzzles them. And, sure, I’ve earned some recognition and money from my work, too. But my loved ones’ encouragement, awards, social media mentions, press write-ups, and checks are not why I do this. They simply sweeten my circumstances a bit. I’d still do it without any of those perks. This is the folly of every artist.

6. What is your work ethic?

I’ve been told I have an incredible work ethic, at least for when I want to finish my own creative projects. I’m deeply motivated to realize my vision and get my work out into the world. But like many writers, I’m never quite satisfied. So I keep writing and writing, as if there’s any hope of getting closer to the end of the rainbow.

7. How do the writers you read when you were young influence you today?

E.B. White, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Roald Dahl, Marissa Moss, Arnold Lobel, Francine Pascal (and the many Sweet Valley Twins ghostwriters!!)—I owe all of you and so many other children’s and YA authors so much. The writers I read then instilled in me the value of reading and valuing my imagination. I still think back to books I read as a child and teen, no doubt.

8. Who of today’s writers do you admire the most and why?

Julia Alvarez, Joan Didion, Jamaica Kincaid, and the dearly departed Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou are some of my favorites. Though, truth be told, I’m more of a case-by-case book fan than I am an overall author fan. I admire all of these writers for their commitment to beautiful language and telling women’s stories. I also have to give a shout-out to the Quail Bell Magazine (http://www.quailbellmagazine.com/) family. I started Quail Bell in college and am floored at the community that’s grown from it. This group of artists and writers fires me up! Even textbook introverts like me need community.

9. Why do you write, as opposed to doing anything else?

I write, but I also make films and visual art. I do some performance-based work, too. I’ve presented my work at the New York Transit Museum, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Annmarie Sculpture Garden-Smithsonian affiliate, the Queens Museum, the Waveland Ground Zero Hurricane Museum, and many other venues. Often, I merge my writing and my non-writing, whatever form that may take. No matter what, it’s all done in service to stories. You can learn more about my other work at http://www.worldofchristinestoddard.com/

10. What would you say to someone who asked you “How do you become a writer?”

Read. Write. Repeat. Getting published is part of the process of getting read, but it’s not what makes you a writer. Dreaming, thinking, and then putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard is what makes you a writer. It also helps to have a sense of humor. There are going to be rough days, so learn to crack a smile once in a while.

11. Tell me about the writing projects you have on at the moment.

I had two books come out this year! It wasn’t supposed to happen that way, but as publishing schedules changed, it became inevitable. The first book is Belladonna Magic: Spells in the Form of Poetry and Photography from Shanti Arts (https://www.shantiarts.co/uploads/files/stu/STODDARD_BELLADONNA.html) and the second is Desert Fox by the Sea (http://hootnwaddle.com/desertfox/) from Hoot ’n’ Waddle. Belladonna Magic is a collection of poetry and photography first featured in Ms. Magazine, so that alone should clue you in on the feminist nature of the collection. (Though depending upon your perception of feminist art, it will probably challenge any preconceived notions.) The other book, Desert Fox by the Sea, is a collection of short stories and poems that won a fiction competition held by Four Chambers Press in Phoenix, Arizona. Hoot ’n’ Waddle, which was started by a former Four Chambers Press editor, picked up the manuscript when Four Chambers went on hiatus. I first read from the collection at the New York City Poetry Festival in July, the same month Desert Fox by the Sea came out and I’m thrilled to have two celebrations for the book in September. The first celebration will be a reading with guest writers, followed by a meditative journaling session inspired by the works read. That will take place on September 12th at Unnameable Books in Brooklyn (https://www.pw.org/literary_events/desert_fox_by_the_sea_book_launch_meditative_journaling). The second celebration will be a reading with musical and photo accompaniment at on September 22nd (https://www.pw.org/literary_events/desert_fox_by_the_sea_book_celebration_projection_music_show) at Quimby’s Books, also in Brooklyn (because that’s where I live.)

In other news, I’m honored to have my 2018 chapbook The Tale of the Clam Ear (AngelHousePress) (https://www.angelhousepress.com/index.php?Chapbooks) reviewed in the summer 2019 issue of Arc Poetry, the poetry magazine of Canada. I really wasn’t expecting that. It’s a feel-good reminder that people still read chapbooks. My next full-length book due out is Heaven Is A Photograph, thanks to the rad folks at CLASH Books (https://www.clashbooks.com/) It’s a poetry and photography book with one continuous narrative about a young art student’s hesitation to pursue photography and how she overcomes her fears. Heaven Is A Photograph will be available for pre-order at the end of the year and come out in early 2020.

As for what I’m actually writing now? My new policy is that if it isn’t just about out the gate, it’s top-secret. Publishing is an unpredictable business and you never know which press is going to go on hiatus or fold. It’s happened to me more than once before! You can learn about smaller projects as they’re released by following Quail Bell Magazine on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/quailbellmagazine/) I’m constantly publishing pieces there, including this recent poetry film, “Jaguar in the Cotton Field,” (https://vimeo.com/354442971) featuring a poem from my chapbook by the same title.(You can order the chapbook from Another New Calligraphy. http://www.anothernewcalligraphy.com/anc047.html)

2020 is going to be a hoot. I’m damn lucky but I also work damn hard, and I’ll be a writer until I head to the grave. I might even find a way to write from six feet under.

Wombwell Rainbow Interviews

I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me. I gave the writers two options: an emailed list of questions or a more fluid interview via messenger.

The usual ground is covered about motivation, daily routines and work ethic, but some surprises too. Some of these poets you may know, others may be new to you. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do.

Ryan Russell

is a professional football player in the NFL, a published poet, author, and artist. He began writing around the age of seven when he lost his stepfather in a motorcycle accident. He then realized just how little his biological father was truly in his life. Ryan’s mother relocated him from Buffalo, New York to Dallas, Texas where Ryan then fell in love with football. Though his love for football was well known and well celebrated he kept embracing, improving, and exploring his first love of writing. Ryan graduated from the prestigious Purdue University and was drafted to the Dallas Cowboys. He saw most of his success with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is excited to apply the same handwork and dedication to his writing.

The Interview

What inspired you  to write poetry?

Growing up I lost my stepfather at a very young age. I spent a lot of time alone as my mother worked two jobs, and went to school to provide for me. Poetry was a way that I could introspect on everything I was feeling and going through. Writing poetry also brought things to life I didn’t quite understand yet myself. It was a conversation between my emotions and my conscious mind when conversation was limited.

2. Who introduced you to poetry?

My first introduction to poetry was Maya Angelou and Tupac. Maya Angelou was the nurturing and maternal figure I had grown accustomed too. She was warm and lyrical poetry, with style and confidence I had seen from the powerful women who raised me. Tupac was a well known figure in hip-hop and someone who I looked up to as a young black man who stood for something. When I read his poetry book, “The Rose That Grew From Concrete” it was validation that poetry was not just writing by women but by men as well. I felt as though I had found my poetic family within the pages of those I admired.

3. How aware were you of the dominating presence of older poets?

I learned about William Shakespeare in school and though he seemed to write about a time that was way beyond me he talked about a lot of the same things that were plaguing me. Outside of school I gravitated towards the work of Edgar Allan Poe. His world looked very similar to mine, riddled with depression, darkness, and shadows that followed romantic idiom and mystery.  Sylvia Plath, though her life was short, her writing was very impactful on me and my writing. Death and despair are topics that often times inspired me to write and Sylvia had no problems exploring that world in vivid detail.

4. What is your daily writing routine?

Every good day of writing starts with a good morning run and a good cup of coffee. I like to wake up and workout a bit, getting a sweat helps clear my mind. Also I wake up feeling accomplished and anything I do form there on out is added accomplishments. Also when I exercise my physical muscles I find it easier to exercise my mental and creative muscles. Depending on the project I have going on, depends on the word count goal I set for the day. I also keep multiple projects going on so if I find myself uninspired to write one, I can work on another. I aim for around 2000 words a day.

5. What motivates you to write?

I write for my own sanity, and along with that comes the freedom of vulnerability. Being vulnerable and transparent is a powerful way to connect to humans on a deeper level than usual.

6. What is your work ethic?

Being a professional football player I’m used to early morning and late nights. I love waking up before the rising sun, brewing a pot of coffee, and cranking out wordplay and metaphor. Also If inspiration strikes me late at night I don’t mind pulling out a pen and pad to jot it down. Often times writing has woken me up out of my sleep and I’ve written at length.

7. How do the writers you read when you were young influence you today?

Honestly they just gave me promotion to be myself, to be honest and vulnerable in my writing. Vulnerability isn’t highly valued on the list of traits to teach young boys but it’s essential to human connection. My influences in literary growing up didn’t worry about how “manly” a piece seemed. They wrote it because it was their truth.

8. Who of today’s writers do you admire the most and why?

I would have to give a shoutout to my mentor, friend, and now publisher, Christopher Poindexter. He has been a contemporary poet who has been so influential to me in blurring the lines between poetry and confession. Also his writing bends the themes of masculinity and femininity all while being powerful beyond compare. He’s amassed a huge following sharing his writing on Instagram and discovered me and published my work.

7. Why do you write, as opposed to doing anything else?

I write to heal, to be my truest self, to help someone going through what I’ve been to. I write to exist in a sense. Throughout the day we do things to fill our bank accounts, we eat to fill our souls, we abuse substances to fill our times, but writing is one of few things I can do everyday that fill may soul. I write therefor I am.

8. What would you say to someone who asked you “How do you become a writer?”

I don’t think you really become a writer, I think one day you just become brave enough to let the world know you are a writer.

9. Tell me about the writing projects you have on at the moment.

I always have my hand in a bunch of different pots. I’ve written articles for major magazine publications but right now I’m focusing on my own personal works. I’m writing a series of short stories that tackle toxic masculinity and also mental health awareness for men. I am working on a murder mystery for my own entertainment but that has turned in to something I think I would love on the desk of a publisher. I am working on my second poetry book, as requested by my publisher. The themes of the poetry book center around all the lessons I was taught as a young man that I have now debunked as a young man.

Wombwell Rainbow Interviews

I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me. I gave the writers two options: an emailed list of questions or a more fluid interview via messenger.

The usual ground is covered about motivation, daily routines and work ethic, but some surprises too. Some of these poets you may know, others may be new to you. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do.

Nadia Gerassimenko (https://legendcitycollective.wordpress.com/)

is the founding editor of Moonchild Magazine (https://www.moonchildmag.net/) and proofreader at Red Raven Book Design (https://www.redravenbookdesign.com/). She is a freelancer in editorial services by trade (http://www.tepidautumn.net/editorial-services), a poet and writer by choice, a moonchild and nightdreamer by spirit. Nadia self-published her first chapbook Moonchild Dreams (2015) (https://www.amazon.com/Moonchild-Dreams-Nadia-Gerassimenko/dp/1507592205/) at the water’s edge (https://www.rhythmnbone.com/at-the-waters-edge) is her second chapbook (Rhythm & Bones Press (https://www.rhythmnbone.com/), 2019).
Follow Nadia on Twitter @moonmoonmother

The Interview

1. When and why did you start writing poetry?

I honestly don’t remember, but when I used to attend grade school in Kazakhstan and Russian school in Canada afterwards, we would have to memorize poems and recite them in class as our homework. It was part of the curriculum and ingrained in many Russian educational institutions at the time. Then my grandmother would often recite me Pushkin or Lermontov or Mayakovsky and occasionally poetry in German which sounded so musical and fluid even if I didn’t understand anything. I only understood Pushkin because much of his poetry is fable-like and was more relatable to me as a child who liked fairy tales. We would also often sing together Russian ballads and bard songs which in themselves were quite poetic. My mother herself wrote poetry in her youth, very beautiful, lyrical, and contemplative poetry, and that instilled in me even more appreciation for poetry and the desire to write poems myself years later.

2. How aware are and were you of the dominating presence of older poets traditional and contemporary?

I’m very much aware of their presence in the past as well as today and the gatekeeping that existed and still endures. It’s changing slowly in the mainstream, but not enough. It’s refreshing to see and witness more inclusiveness and diversity in the indie lit community even though there is unfairness in it too. So many voices are being left out when they only deserve to speak and sing and be recognized and appreciated by others. As writers, editors, publishers, readers, advocates, and community builders, it is our moral duty as literary citizens to publish, to hold space, to promote, to share work, to offer accessibility to brilliant marginalized writers and artists. Especially those who have more privilege, recognition, and followship can do so much good to break the vicious cycle of gatekeeping.

3. What is your daily writing routine?

I don’t have a daily writing routine because I have, unfortunately, a chronic illness and also I’m an editor and freelancer on the side, so much of my time is spent either on healing or editing or online community building or household stuff that I can’t seem to sit down and get to writing! However, some of my poems have been written in my head at the most random times like when I’d be showering or about to go to bed or cooking a meal or watching something evocative, then I would have to hurry and type it all out on my computer before the thoughts are lost completely. I suppose the muse just comes when she pleases. Sometimes I can invoke her when I’m working out a poem or a project through deliberate researching and planning, but I would actually have to sit down and not be interrupted by anything else. I try to make more time for writing these days, but I try not to force it either.

4. What motivates you to write?

As mentioned previously If I don’t have a creative outlet for my emotions, like writing, I internalize my feelings and they burn me from within. Lately I have also been focusing on spreading awareness through my writing about things that I care about that aren’t talked about as much or are made light of in the mainstream, like chronic illness and trauma, especially when it’s something I’ve experienced and lived through and wished I could have read about when I felt the aching, the loneliness, and the isolation myself more intensely than today.

5. How do the writers you read when you were young influence you today?

I don’t feel that the things I read when I was younger influenced me per se, though they certainly nurtured my love for languages and creative writing. However, I was and am constantly inspired by my fellow writers in the indie lit community–their brilliant and brave words, the impressive ways they’re continuously reinventing and revolutionizing the written word, and their exemplary ethos in community building and healing.

6. Who of today’s writers do you admire the most and why?

I’m endlessly inspired and stimulated by a collective I’m part of, The Legend City Collective, comprising the founder C. Aloysius Mariotti and other members Tianna G. Hansen, Paul S. Rowe, Carla Sofia Ferreira, Danielle Rose, Marisa Silva-Dunbar, Kiley Lee, Kari Flickinger, Holly Pelesky, Stuart Buck. The things they write and create, I have no words! They empower me to always strive to be a better writer, supporter of others, and literary citizen myself. I’m constantly blown away by the writing of Dominique Christina, Sweta Srivastava Vikram, Ana P., Thursday Simpson, Sin Ribbon, Ingrid M. Calderon-Collins, Cathy Ulrich, Lydia A. Cyrus, Ashley Miranda, Elisabeth Horan, Sarah Nichols, E. Kristin Anderson, Rehan Qayoom, Daniel Casey, Christopher Iacono, Tiffany Chaney, Kailey Tedesco, Tiffany Sciacca, Sam Jowett, Hannah Cohen, Iskandar Haggarty, Alexis Bates, Cathleen Allyn Conway, Catherine Garbinsky, Joyce Chng, December Lace, Kathryn McMahon, Craig Rodgers, Maura Lee Bee, Effy Winter, Joanna C. Valente, Yael van der Wouden, Cath Barton, Beth Gordon, Sneha Subramanian Kanta, Magda Knight, Chloe N. Clark, Chad Musick, Samantha Lamph/Len, Kevin Woodall, Teo Mungaray, Kerry E.B. Black, Trista Edwards, Romey Petite, Gabriel Kunst, Jack Bedell, Logan February, Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, Patricia Grisafi, Louis Cennamo, Umang Kalra, K.B. Carle, Mary Sims, Monique Quintana, Christine Sloan Stoddard, Arielle Tipa, Miggy Angel, Wanda Deglane, Prince Bush, Angelo Colavita, J.A. Pak, Tijqua Daiker, Catherine Kyle, Sara Pisak, Travis Chi Wing Lau, Todd Dillard, Gabino Iglesias, Kolleen Carney Hoepfner, Marisa Crane and Alana Saltz and so many more! Like everyone I have ever published in Moonchild Magazine. Even though Kate Bush isn’t considered a writer, to me, she is a poet. Spiritually, she has been my muse and guardian angel since ever and will always be.

7. What would you say to someone who asked you “How do you become a writer?”

I would say just start writing and reading and writing and reading and writing and editing and writing and editing and more editing and then more reading and then more writing and editing and repeat, repeat, repeat.

8. Tell me about the writing projects you have on at the moment.

At the moment I’m quite busy promoting my upcoming chapbook with Rhythm & Bones Press entitled “at the water’s edge.” It’s currently at the pre-order stage, it will release in September and there will be a book launch on October 5th in A Novel Idea on Passyunk. Afterwards, I would like to get back to working on my two other projects. One is a collection I’m working on about endangered animals and I hope to someday team up with an artist who would illustrate it. Another is a found poetry collection dedicated to Dylan Farrow and will touch upon childhood sexual abuse and trauma as well as how others support (or don’t) survivors and hold others accountable (or don’t). I’m hoping it will end up being not only an educational collection but also an empowering one to survivors. Actually, four found poems from this collection are included in “at the water’s edge” and have also been published by Yes, Poetry.