You are Professor Emeritus of English and Comparative Literature at California State University, Fullerton. Tell us about your days there as editor of South Coast Poetry Journal.

The English Department at CSUF was generous toward its faculty in many ways, one of which was the always-present opportunity to design and teach a new course. That’s what I did with SCPJ, the course being called Editing a Literary Journal. I picked ten to twelve students to help as intern editors. Almost every student chosen performed wonderfully, especially when reading submissions, nominating their choices, and then discussing them with other interns at the Friday meetings. Among the excellent poets we published were Rita Dove, Richard Eberhardt, William Stafford, Robert Mezey, Kay Ryan, Lucy Shaw, Denise Duhamel, X. J. Kennedy, Denise Levertov and Mark Strand.

You have six collections of poetry in print, the latest of which is Peripheral Visions, published by Negative Capability Press in 2017. Can you tell us about this?

Yes. The first two volumes came out while I was still teaching a four-course load at Fullerton. The third one hit the table fourteen years after my retirement. We had sold our home, moved, and settled into the new place. I built garden structures and indoor tables until I’d had enough of that. And that’s when it struck me that I had a large stash of poems written in my spare time. So that put me in fifth gear, and the more recent three collections were the result.

Why do you think poetry is important?

I grew up in a blue-collar family where physical activity alone was considered work. But at some point I sensed that there were many topics we never talked about: people and things we loved, or forgiveness, or self-restraint in the presence of temptation are just a few examples. But poetry, I soon discovered, could and did talk about those and more. It was as if I’d been a tadpole and unexpectedly became an air-breathing and hopping frog.

Describe a typical day in your life.

Six a.m. is my usual rising time. I feed the pets and make coffee. Not long after, my wife and I have breakfast, followed by her embroidering while I read aloud from whatever book takes our fancy. Then to my daily walk with our Labrador. After that, it’s my study, reading to myself or writing. I constantly look for poets I have ignored who are worth reading. After lunch I drive into the Post Office in our little town for the mail, return home and lie down for a short nap. And then there’s dinner. In between all of these, I try to write what I would like to find on bookstore shelves.

Who inspires you and why?

After exiting the Marine Corps, I found the writer I admired most, Shakespeare. (Eventually I wrote my doctoral dissertation on Hamlet.) But later I opened Homer’s epics, and now I’d be hard put to say which of the two greats I admire more. There were others of course: Wilbur, Auden, Dickinson and Gjertrud Schnackenberg. And now that I’ve said they inspired me, I’ll amend that to say the benefits I derived from reading them did not include a sense of competition with them, but a feeling that I’d found a soul mate.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I’d say, “Give up this fame business. It makes you trendy instead of sincere. And don’t try to publish anything new until the paper has turned yellow in your desk drawer. In the meantime, READ all of the greats, from Beowulf to Thom Gunn. This won’t guarantee your success as a poet, but it will give you a leg up on those who didn’t do it.”

Tell us a story in five words.

Kissing his palm, she departed.

Have you been on a literary pilgrimage?

I’ve visited the Bard’s haunts and toured Robinson Jeffers’ house, but in general I prefer that friends do my literary pilgrimages for me. Their reports are far more enlightening, which tells me that I am less adept at imbibing the essence of an author from his or her surroundings than most people are. Also, I’ve just about given up on flying, and my wife gets seasick easily, so we’re two happy homebodies.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Find peace. Then write.

What are you reading at the moment?

Marilynne Robinson’s essays, Schnackenberg’s poetry, and Rachel Naomi Remen’s book on her grandfather’s blessings.

Your seventh volume, Selected Poems, is forthcoming by Future Cycle Press. X.J. Kennedy described it as ‘a vital contribution to American poetry’. What is next for you? What plans have you got?

I plan to keep doing what I’ve been doing, and I’m grateful that retirement allows me to do that. There have been several times when I’ve thought my end was near, but I’m on the edge of eighty now, having survived polio and cancer, so I’ve stopped guessing how much time I have left in me. But I’m enjoying every minute so far. As for writing and publishing, I have another collection out there looking for a home. And then there’s that New Poems file that keeps getting fatter.

You began your writing career as a military journalist. Can you tell us about this? Did you write print articles, or material for radio and television?

I entered the Army right out of high school. It was during the war in Vietnam and I wanted to go there, not to kill anyone, but to see for myself what was going on. My grades in English in high school were excellent, and thanks to high verbal test scores in the military, I was afforded the opportunity to attend the Defense Information School, which was a joint military school for training military journalists and photojournalists. The same day that I graduated they stopped deployment of many military occupations to Vietnam, including journalists, so I was assigned to the District Recruiting Command Headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida. It was a civilian office and my job was to travel the state and write articles for local newspapers and radio spots for radio stations about men and women who were enlisting, those returning from Vietnam, and aspects of Army recruiting. From the time I arrived in Florida until I got out of the Army three years later, I never stepped foot on an Army base. Of course, I never got to Vietnam.

Can you tell us about your collection of short stories, Sand, which was published recently by Clarendon House Books?

There are 30 stories in the collection in the literary, fantasy, horror, sci-fi, speculative fiction, absurdist and humor genres. There is no central theme. What the publisher and I wanted to do was produce a collection of my stories that would appeal to different literary tastes.

Your plays have been produced in several states in the U.S. Interesting. Tell us about one of them.

A Cowboy Comes to Dinner is a farcical comedy with a cast of ten. It was staged in Kansas City, Missouri, and Rio Rico, Arizona. It’s about a play being performed about a cowboy coming to a posh dinner that goes awry when the cast performing it break out of their roles during the production and an accidental murder occurs.

What do you care about? What themes keep cropping up in your writing?

I’m not the type of writer who has a planned, specific message or agenda in my stories. I love the short story form and I write short stories in many genres with many different themes. With over 160 different stories published in over 170 different publications since June 2016, there are bound to be some similar themes, but as often as I’m asked that question, I still don’t have an adequate answer. I’m not an “intellectual” writer. I don’t analyze my work while I’m writing a story or after it’s finished. I tell a story. It’s as simple as that.

How do you think technology is affecting humans in today’s society?

We are becoming more connected on a broader basis but less connected on a personal basis.

Describe a typical day in your life.

I wake up. I eat. I write. I nap. I wake up. I eat. I write. I eat. I do some other mostly mundane stuff. I write. I go to sleep. Somewhere in between waking up and going to sleep I read books that my peers have written, I hang out on social media, I watch a little television and I spend time with other human beings. My days of adventure are behind me, but they were great fun while they lasted. I’m retired and have no need to prove that I can still act or live like I’m twenty years old.

If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

This is going to sound so much like a Miss Universe pageant contestant answer: I’d bring world peace.

Who inspires you and why?

There are a group of individuals, mostly other writers in the Inner Circle Writers Group on the MeWe social site, who encourage, support and inspire me every day.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

As a person, don’t sweat the small stuff. As a writer, don’t try to write the same way as your favorite authors. Find your own “voice” and write with that.

Have you been on a literary pilgrimage?

Yes, but I have gotten off track a few times and for long stretches of time and had to find my way back.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Travel as much as you can, meet as many people as you can, observe nature, get involved in the world. Take mental notes on everything until you’re ready to write from those notes.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m re-reading some of Grant Hudson’s How Stories Really Work. Every writer at every level of expertise should read it.

What is next for you? What plans have you got?

I’m hoping to reach my goal of having stories published in 200 publications by the end of this year. I have another collection possibly being published by another publisher, so I’m waiting to hear about that. I have a completed novel that has been gathering cobwebs in my computer for a couple of years. I may get that out, dust it off and find an agent for it. Some days I think about retiring from writing altogether.

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Steven’s Website

Tell us about your journey towards becoming an author.

I have been writing since I was a child. I didn’t keep up with it regularly, but it was something to do. I have always loved stories and writing. I love how the same words in a different way can tell a completely different tale. I regularly began writing when I was about thirteen years old. I wrote, wrote, and wrote. I didn’t have any other writers in my family, so I wasn’t sure how to approach getting my work published. There’s probably some of my early stuff up on poetry.com which seemed rather popular when I was a kid. I took about a five year hiatus from my writing because I thought it and myself were rubbish. It wasn’t until 2011 that I started getting work published. Some of my first poems and short stories didn’t even receive a response. They were just ignored by the editors I sent them to, and that was a bit disheartening. But I knew writing was one of my talents and my strengths, so I looked for a way to improve my writing, and ways to improve myself.

What is it you love about poetry?

Poetry is short, succinct, and yet very powerful and distinct. Every poet writes differently, but their experiences are sometimes very easy to relate to. I think my favourite poems are the short ones that pack a punch, that hit you hard in the gut, no matter the topic.

You also write short stories. How do you approach writing a short story? Do you plan it first, or just see what happens as you write?

I usually brainstorm for a while. Then I get to writing the story. The story usually changes from what I thought it would be in the beginning because characters and plots aren’t always predictable. Every twist and turn is thrilling and teaches me something new about the world and myself.

What do you care about? What themes keep cropping up in your writing?

This is a loaded question. There is a lot of things that I care about. Themes that crop up in my writing often are self-worth and finding oneself, not giving up, of finding oneself, how bullying, whilst painful, has strengthened me, how women are not objects of sexual gratification but rather spiritual and divine creatures full of power and magic, social justice, ecological concerns, nature, slice of life vignettes, etc. There are many things that I write about. Some profound and some just confessional.

How do you think technology is affecting humans in today’s society?

In some ways I think technology is great. It helps connect me with other writers, poets, and readers who may not find my work otherwise, which is wonderful. It’s a platform in which I can engage with people with my writing and connect, which is always an amazing feeling. I have had a few people tell me that my work changed their life and that’s really meant a lot to me. However, on the flip side of that, I do see a disconnect with reality. I see people measuring their worth in how many likes or comments they get on posts and pictures, and that’s really rather dismaying. I see people become glazed eyed zombies addicted to their phones and ignoring the beauty and bounty of nature, and those who love them. I really think for every pro there is a con to everything. Technology needs to be wielded wisely. It can be a waste of time if used improperly.

Describe a typical day in your life.

Well, typically on days I work, I sit down on the computer and get to the grindstone of writing. I like to push myself to get as much accomplished as I can before work. On a day off my writing is sometimes more sporadic. It depends on if I am visiting with friends and family, or if the day is one that I get to myself. If it is one that I get to myself then sometimes I rest a lot to recover my strength. My night job is sometimes rather exhausting because I deal with a lot of people and I am an introvert by nature. So rest is sometimes necessary so I can heal up and have enough strength and focus to put out my best writing.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

Money. I would do away with it completely. It disgusts me how greedy and cruel people are. How stingy people can be. How some people would rather poor people starve and die rather than to help them. Those with much always forget that they can be on the other side of the coin. They might not always be facing heads up when they land. I think it is important to give and help others as you can. Even if it means giving someone some of your time. Listening to someone can make a world of difference in their lives. I just think money, like power, can corrupt souls. I tire of the greed of men, and what said greed causes them to do to people who they should be loving, instead of swindling.

Who inspires you and why?

Non-famous people include my grandmother because she always encourages me to keep going no matter how hard it gets. Similarly, my best friend Alicia, who has epilepsy, has shown me the meaning of strength, and sometimes even when I backslide and doubt myself she is there cheering me on. My mother encourages me to be a better person and to keep going because I don’t want to quit this journey of my writing. It means a lot to me, and it is something that I love to do. One day I would like for it to be my full time job, but I’m just not at that point right now. Famous people include J.K. Rowling because I find her story inspiring. As a woman who has also has dealt with bouts of depression in my life, it is wonderful to see someone from such a humble beginning rise to such fame and fortune, especially considering all the money she gives away to charity and to help others. I feel that is wonderful that she gives back after all she’s been given. I also find Anne Rice rather inspiring because despite the fact that she grows older, she does not let that stop her writing her books and living her life. Not to mention her Vampire Chronicles are getting a television equivalent now after all these years, and she keeps pushing upward and onward. I love that she soldiers on no matter what life hands her. I cannot imagine how painful it was for her to lose her daughter and her husband, but she doesn’t let it slow her down.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t worry what people think. You are enough as you are, because you are one of a kind. Your power is that you are you. You are full of worth, even if some people will never see it. Never give up on the pursuit of the things that set your heart on fire no matter what anyone tells you because you are stronger and more powerful than they’ll ever think. Dreams are not only necessary, but can be fought for and sought for, and they should be.

Have you been on a literary pilgrimage?

Yes, I’ve been writing for many years. Over the years I have learned and honed my skills so that my writing is more effective and reaches audiences better. I have learned some of the things that don’t work and those that do in my own writing and my own voice. I’ve received rejections that have made me cry and press on, and acceptances always make me excited. Because one editor may not see value in my words, but another may love what I sent them. Writing is a subjective business, I’ve learned, and so I soldier on. Rejections sting no matter how nice or polite they are, but I remind myself they are not the end, and I persevere despite all the odds.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Buy other writers’ works when and where you can, love reading as much as you do writing, never give up, always go ahead with ideas no matter how weird or strange they are because even if you end up scrapping them, at least you can say you were brave enough to see where they were going Always be brave and kind, learn from your failures and strengthen your writing from what editors tell you, don’t be too proud and self-assured that you cannot take good advice when it’s given to you – no one wants to be reminded of their faults, but we all have them, and never let rejections turn you away from your craft. I won’t tell you not to take it personally, like everyone else does, because honestly every single rejection wounds me, but don’t let a rejection cut you up so badly that you leave behind what you’ve worked so hard to create. Be willing to take a chance on yourself.

What are you reading at the moment?

I don’t always have much opportunity to read as I did when I was younger, what with my work schedule and all, but the last thing I read was Isabelle Kenyon’s book of poetry This Is Not A Spectacle which is an interesting book full of different observations that tie together with a corresponding theme. It was really well executed and enjoyable.

What is next for you? What plans have you got?

We’ll see what the future holds. I hope lots of more publications, naturally. I’m planning on publishing more books of poetry, publishing my novels, getting more short stories out in the world. I would like to get a collection of short stories together and published, too, at some point. I plan on getting more personal articles out there, too, because I have found a fondness of sharing my self to the world in a vulnerable way that can help others. I plan on being a part of more anthologies, and taking more chances on myself and my writing. I plan on submitting to places that scared me off before, for whatever reason. I plan on becoming a better person and a better writer, and seeing where this journey takes me.

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Twitter

Tell us about your journey towards becoming a poet.

In hindsight, my journey seems to be about dubious reservation vs. obsessiveness in spite of that. Once I started doing work on a fairly regular basis I can’t recall there ever being a “just flow-with-it” time when I was not questioning, even beating myself up, as to why I was doing the work in the first place!

What is it you love about poetry? Have you considered writing a novel or a play?

Considering the preceding answer, what I love about poetry is that it really is a focal point for what is not only on my mind, but in my spirit, often surprising me when I set out believing the poem is going to be about one thing, and then, on more than one occasion, takes on dimensions I was not expecting.

As far as other forms of writing…I recall experimenting with plays during high school years, and actually did begin writing novels in my junior year. I honestly had this great (desperate) delusion that I would make a living this way, and have wound up self-publishing a couple of novels written before I was 30. These were works I dusted off, yet one more time when the P.O.D. Lulu platforms came into being and ran a couple of contests. In my 40’s I began writing essays, and have an unpublished manuscript that is a quirky memoir where objects, furnishings, rooms, domiciles (one apartment and the farmhouse I grew up in, in particular) invoke the impetus for reflection.

What do you care about? What themes keep cropping up in your writing?

I don’t think anyone writing is not coming from a place of empathy and compassion. I mean, unless it is a personal attack against someone, even if the writing is an expression of anger, I think that anger comes from a mother-bear-protecting-its-young sort of instinctive moral compass. Given that, even if I write in the “I” first-person, that “I” is the voice of someone perhaps shoved into the shadows, lost, forgotten, overlooked…that “I” might even belong to the voice of nature and a species, or landscape trying not to become extinct. Themes of my writing are based on putting myself in the shoes of an imagined experience, as much a direct offshoot of my own.

How do you think technology is affecting humans in today’s society?

Well, there are certainly good advances which have come from technology, mainly medical, and there is something said about media promoting more global awareness, and helping people get together for the good of a common cause. Also, look at how it has helped writers connect and get published! The flip side of that, however, is that there’s always human elements who will use the technology for not exactly altruistic reasons…scamming, identity theft, scapegoating and…to be honest, I think a great deal of social media is just an extension of a Reality TV: disconnect…distraction, titillation…people not really thinking or feeling deeply, but just reacting and spouting, and trying to keep up with a bombardment of messages and tweets. Whether we do this to feel less lonely, to feel as if we belong to some clique/niche or other is completely understandable, but there is certainly the danger of being not just sheep/lemmings-to-the-sea mentality, but also mob/sniper tactics of intimidation and bullying. Like shows that focus on the glamour or lack thereof concerning personalities, celebrity/political or wanna-be, these versions of humanity do not paint a pretty picture overall.

Describe a typical day in your life.

My external life is fairly boring/mundane, and I actually see that as a blessing. Who can write while running from a throng of reporters with microphones? I have a day job and try to work things which inspire creativity before and after that, the actual creating from those times coming after work and on the weekend. I also have a husband, a relationship approaching 20 years, so my other priority is being present for that.

If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

One thing? Oh boy! Remove the greed/predator gene from everything!

Who inspires you and why?

Well, certainly other artists and individualists of all stripes…those who have beat their own drum, for they are role models saying it is OK to find my own path. When I was younger I think I was more of an enamoured and put-them-on-a-pedestal sort of person, as if they had some sort of magic I could aspire to, but it is important to realize they were/are humans, with their own struggles, foibles, warts…and I think the ones who inspire me most admit this about themselves, while also trying to be aware of others feelings/needs/circumstances. I mean, to me, a role model could be someone who does his/her best to make a good meal and share it with others, preferably me!

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I wish my younger self the impossible…that I could have had a much stronger disposition, one of confidence, self-love/respect and the ability to fight back. The best advice I could give to that younger self is tell those who want to see me hurt, and couldn’t care less if I died, to go screw themselves and the horses they rode in on (Also find yourself a nice strong posse of allies to back you up!).

Have you been on a literary pilgrimage?

Only internally.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Failure is another word, a concept when it comes to anything creative. Don’t give yourself an F because something is rejected, or someone else is financially/critically successful…and also, like anything else, writing is not the end all and be all to yourself as a person, or to your usefulness. Allow yourself to exist breathing fresh air with an awareness of all that is around, which may be neutral/indifferent, but also that these natural energies do not want to do harm to the gift of your senses in just being alive. The Universe is OK if you don’t turn out to be the next big or best thing to baked bread.

What are you reading at the moment?

I am reading a novel Black Deutschland by Darryl Pinckney and a book of poems Writing Down the Bones by LB Sedlacek.

What is next for you? What plans have you got?

Since around the end of 2015 I’ve been working on a series of montages tentatively titled From Nostalgia, Through Now & Beyond, an homage to LGBT individuals, couples, organization and allies predominantly pre-Stonewall. I have completed roughly 300 images and am still working with/researching roughly 2,000 more, and would like to create some sort of free online museum with these.

Check out Stephen’s work here

Tell us about your journey towards becoming a poet.

I liked literature when I was a child, and dreamed of being a great writer in the future. When I was about eleven years old, I wrote my first poem. Although it was only a few short sentences, it was astonishing at that time, as books were barren. At the age of sixteen I started my job, and read world literature in my spare time. Then I decided to make literary creation my career, for all my life. Basically, my creation may be divided into two periods: the first period is before 1990, the second period is after 1990. In the first period, lyric was the main form of my poetry. Later, I found that lyric only expressed emotions, and they were incapable of changing the world. So I began to read Laozi’s Daodejing and explore the truth of the universe and life. After that I started to roam around. In the meantime, I saw some monks who practiced in temples, and the fairies who lived in seclusion in the mountains. They all gave instructions and enlightenments to me. These edifications taught me a new understanding from the universe and life, especially in understanding the two ancient philosophical thinkers, the men of the age, Laozi and Zhuangzi. At this time, I began to have a knowledge of prehistoric civilization and ancient civilization. From then on, there has been a qualitative change in my poetry, and I created successively some poems beyond time and space, especially when I meditated one day at noon in 1990. I saw an extraterrestrial city above space — Platinum City.

Thereupon, in 1998, it seemed to me that I was inspired by the Gods, and created a series of works such as Platinum City, The City of Gold, and Golden Giant, continuously.

You are interested in creation. What is your philosophy?

I had an insight into the knowledge of time and space, and I thought that time is namely space. Ancient civilization and prehistoric civilization did not disappear, but hid in another space.

What is it you love about poetry? Have you considered writing a novel or a play?

I like the poetry of the ancient Chinese poets, of British poetry I particularly like the works of William Blake, Keats, and Yeats. I had once written a short novel of magic realism. I will further explore and create novels in the future. I once wanted to create a new type of writing: integrate poetry, novels, and plays, but there is no clear distinction or limit.

What other themes do you write about?

The theme of my creation is prehistoric civilization and the future civilization of mankind, especially the exploration of future civilization. Platinum City, that I have seen, is exactly the future civilization of mankind. I believe that this is a revelation given to mankind by the Gods.

How do you think technology is affecting humans in today’s society?

Platinum City has answered this problem, the development of science and technology will not destroy mankind, on the contrary, with the development of science and technology, human civilization will change dramatically. Platinum City written in Golden Giant is exactly the future civilization of mankind.

Describe a typical day in your life.

I am an eremite and have lived in seclusion for the past 20 years. I copy China’s ancient codes and records, practice meditation and calligraphy, and also take a walk every day.

If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

Help mankind to find their own soul, and mankind will find their sanctity and greatness.

Who inspires you and why?

Laozi and Zhuangzi, the philosophers of ancient China have deeply inspired me, especially Zhuangzi, because they made me aware of the insignificance of mankind.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Explore the human soul and create works beyond politics, time, and ethnicity.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’ve been reading China’s ancient codes and records, which I do all the time.

What is next for you? What plans have you got?

To explore further the secrets of the universe, and the future civilization of mankind, write poetry, or a new type of writing. Thousands of years ago, the tradition of monasticism from an ancient sage was not at all cut off, not only in the temples, but carried forward by the fairies who lived in seclusion in the mountains or countrysides. I hope one day I can write of their incredible wisdom.

Special thanks to Yuanbing for his assistance.

You have written three poetry collections. Can you tell us about them?

Suddenly For Someone was published in 1988. I was 26 years old. Nine Summers Later, the second one as the title suggests, was issued as many years later. That makes it 1997. This Summer and That Summer was released in 2015/16 and published by Bloomsbury, India.

I see poetry as an extension of myself. I seek it in most settings. Poems are my response to stimuli. They help me make sense of my situation. I wrestle for nuance by wrenching words and woes. Some poems dip into my emotional deposits, others document the demotic. The attempt is to arrest a moment of truth in a tasteful manner. In short, poetry is my engagement with existence.

Each of these books encapsulates my understanding of the world and my capability to express it. The basic premise hasn’t changed, just my skills as a craftsman, and perhaps I have a deeper understanding of what I write about.

Can you share a few of poems from your collection, This Summer and That Summer, and walk us through the idea behind them?

The opening poem is Pigeons. In suburban Mumbai where the average size of a flat is as large as your handkerchief, the poem is about the issues a harmless bird and her progenies create as intruders:

Pigeons

Pigeons have no tenancy laws.
She placed her squabs on my sill.
When I protested, she gazed at me
with looks which were a hybrid
of hesitancy and hostility.

At night, the pigeons cooed.
Throughout the day,
the exhalation of their excreta
wafted across the apartment.
During feed-time, their twitter
was louder than church bells
annunciating crisis. But I was helpless…

Soon I decided — to be kind to myself,
I had to be cruel.
I opted to evict them.
But there are no courts for this.
No legal machinery.
Only feelings.

Feelings have always failed me.

(Soul Scan is a meditation on the travails of being a poet):

Soul Scan

(1)

Shells of silence underneath my skin
burst in a rash of run-ons.
Clear as mud, carp the critics.
But I soldier on like an infantryman
bulwarking his nation’s border,
hoping to be helpful
in an era of nuclear warfare
or bombardments from the Net.

(2)

In my growing years I wished to be famous.
Parents gave value to visibility.
It was reassuring for them
to have others accept their issue.
When their pressure ended
I realized,
I am best in my booth.

(3)

Without strain of the perfect gargle
or granules of pitch
I sing sweetest for myself.
Skills of a soloist
I have not gathered.
I thrive when my skin trills for itself.

(Have a look at):

Realization

Fraught with fissures, I can see
my life wriggling like some children
waggle out of their parents’ care.

In my case there is no one
to chide. I’m ward
and the warden.

Survival anthems urge
you to be accountable.
Here I’m,
mindful of my mistakes.
Now what?

(Ruse is a love poem):

Ruse

Bathed in bounties of the elements
vacillating fronds blushed. On the corniche
your palm in mine, we were at a fork
parrying tines of the past. You & I
told our truth, as we wished it
not how it had panned out. Like maquillage
or habiliments, we tried removing
the restrictions but doing away with untruths
did not blend with our biotope.
Our chansonette ran on another tune.

(I will end this with Friendship):

Friendship

Whenever I call her, she is on the cusp
of an interlude. When we are together
honesty is her other name.

The world riddled with rift must reign
in the sequences of her smile.
Grief is her gatekeeper.

When the phone rings, her callers
have promises to proffer.
Full of fire, she is destiny’s flaw.

Some symphonies will never be hers.
Still my friend’s lilt has the potential
to light the lame. Often she disowns this gift.

Her universe seems untidy,
but it is unsoiled. Her haphazardness
is on display while mine is disguised.

It is things that we disagree upon
are the things that draw me to her.
Fortitude is this friend’s flag.

You live in Mumbai, India. Describe a typical day in your life.

About five years ago I began an intense creative phase which continues unabated. In this phase I have no life outside of writing. All of me is engaged in writing and its auxiliary activity. I’m at my desk for almost 15 hours.

If this seems drudge-like, it is not. I am in it out of choice. I luxuriate in it.

Who inspires you and why?

Life and its layers.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

To not be as tense as I have been. There is no big battle to win. The journey is about small everyday victories and loss. To try to have as clean and meaningful existence as is possible. To be of value to others, and if that isn’t possible, at least try not hurt others.

Tell us a story in five words.

You are your best story.

Have you been on a literary pilgrimage?

Almost every time I am on my desk. For me inditing is a meditative stance, so when I go within and create a meaningful poem, it is a literary pilgrimage. There are days when I end up at the picnic level, the results reach my dustbin. But that is another story.

Why do you think poetry is important?

Because it reminds us of our humaneness, it keeps us in touch with our truths. And perhaps makes us better individuals.

What are you reading at the moment?

In this phase of extensive writing I am not a serious reader. The internet has opened possibilities, on an average day my inbox receives fifty to hundred poems from various sources. As the mood and mind decides, I peruse some of them. But no serious reading.

What is next for you? What plans have you got?

To keep writing and publishing as long as I rejoice in it. I’m published in this or that place somewhere in the world, almost every other day. To continue with vigor.

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Tell us about your journey towards becoming a poet.

It is a journey born under the powerful signs of loss and sorrow. I, a child who had to face the death of her brother, and who grasped for the only help she felt was being close to her, grasped for words and poetry, because words can heal and hide, and poetry is a meaningful hiding place. Decades elapsed. Yesterday’s child still here, still busy with sails and rigging, her mind rife with images from all the harbours she’s docked at, the only change being the language, after writing in Italian for many years she switched to English.

What is it you love about poetry? Have you considered writing a novel or a play?

The endless, boundless freedom poetry allows me whenever I write. I’ve never considered writing a novel, funnily enough, though, every now and then I wonder what it’s like to write a play.

What do you care about? What themes keep cropping up in your writing?

What themes? Loss, I think, pain, the sorrow my soul is plagued by whenever facing the relentless, intractable inconsistency of life. To be more specific, I might argue that my poetry is a cartography of my soul.

How do you think technology is affecting humans in today’s society?

I’m so glad we have technology, it’s made our lives better, and I mean it; just think of our health: nowadays so many diseases that killed so many people until a few decades ago are treatable; besides, we can communicate much better and much faster, communication being, I believe, an important thread in that tapestry we call life.

Describe a typical day in your life.

Nothing to write home about, I’m afraid. After handling my daily errands and my daily chores, I sit at the PC, read, write, words and books being the main staple of my diet, of every day in my life.

If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

Only one? 🙂 If I could, I’d eradicate the tree of selfishness, the root of so many evils.

Who inspires you and why?

Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath. They were so powerful when handling those high-charged wires that are words, and when shaping for the readers those unforgettable scenarios that have both haunted my mind ever since I read their words, and fed my phantoms, my obsessions.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Yes, well, what advice, with the proviso, of course, she takes careful note: Never stop believing in words: they do deserve your trust.

Have you been on a literary pilgrimage?

I have indeed, and twice! I’ve been to Amherst and to Chawton.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Never stop befriending words, never stop trusting them, never stop loving them.

What are you reading at the moment?

Karl Barth’s The Humanity of God and Matsuo Basho’s poems.

What is next for you? What plans have you got?

I’d like to keep on writing, reading, living the way I’ve always done- what else?

Birmingham has an amazing creative vibrancy and it seems that poetry is at the heart of it. Nyanda Foday is currently Birmingham’s Young Poet Laureate. I was lucky enough to see her perform recently and managed to chat to her about her love of spoken word.

Where does your love of poetry and spoken word come from?

It’s hard to say. I’ve been writing poetry since I was very little, but up until somewhere in secondary school I definitely preferred prose. I made the switch when school-work and my extracurricular ramped up, and I had less time to write. I enjoy it because I find there’s something very satisfying in stringing together some words in a way that viscerally affects you and others. I enjoy spoken word because I like to perform and I feel that there’s more of a poet-audience connection than in page poetry.

How did you get involved in performance poetry?

I went to Beatfreek’s Poetry Jam with my friend and that was when I started to really make the switch. When I first watched established spoken word artists perform I suddenly just needed to one day be able to do that, and I went to a lot of poetry nights, meeting more artists and developing my poetry in the process.

What do you like about performing?

I very much enjoy the interaction with the audience- the whole mood of the piece changes depending on the audience you have. I’ve also always enjoyed performing, so it was already something I did before I took up poetry, but it’s definitely a different experience when you’re performing your innermost thoughts as opposed to someone else’s writing.

You’re currently Birmingham’s Young Poet Laureate. What an amazing achievement. This must keep you busy. What’s it like to be a Young Poet Laureate?

It’s amazing- the opportunities it has presented have been incredible, and the kinds of things I never would have been able to do without the laureateship. I’ve been able to perform at National Holocaust Memorial Day, the National Writer’s Conference, and it was how I got involved with Random Acts and ended up making a short film.

I recently saw the film of your poem Listen, and think its an amazing and effective piece. The combination of sign language, film and spoken word works so well. Can you tell us about the background to this?

I’ve always found sign language to be particularly beautiful, and when I was approached by Random Acts I figured I could just try to create a concept that would allow me to work with sign language. I decided that the most appropriate topic was expression outside of the voice, as I felt it would compliment sign language and add value to the use of sign language. It worked out really well, and getting to work with Mary-Jayne de Clifford, the translator, was an incredible experience.

Who or what inspires you to write?

I am a very inward-facing poet- I tend to write about how I’m feeling and things that happen in my life. However, I am also incredibly inspired by the poets I see perform- like I said, watching an incredible performance fills you with the need to perform something that makes other people feel the way those poems made you feel.

What’s next for you? Can you share any details of projects you’re currently working on?

Well, I’m coming up to the end of my first year at university, and the end of my two years of laureateship. What’s going to happen next is very much a grey area. With the move to uni, which meant a different lifestyle and a different geographical area, almost all of my poetry this year has been going back to Brum for laureate requests. I imagine I’m going to be doing a lot less poetry unfortunately, but I would like to make more of an effort to break into the scene where I’m now based. I would love to carry on doing the same kinds of performances, but I don’t think I’ll be asked to do them as much without the laureateship. I’m honestly not really working on any projects at the moment, things are kind of winding down for the year, though they might increase again in the Summer.

Who would you recommend that we read or see in performance?

I definitely cannot provide an extensive list because there are so many incredible artists- especially in Birmingham. First things first- go to an established open mic night (Poetry Jam, Howl, Stirchley Speaks, Hit the Ode, etc.). The talent will vary depending on the night a lot of the time, so I would recommend trying each night at least two or three times. This will introduce you to some of the local poets, and you’ll get to see some different types of poetry.

Individuals: (please remember that this is in no way extensive) Amerah Saleh, Case Bailey, Aliyah Hasinah, Jasmine Gardosi, Jess Davies, Leon, Bohdan Piasecki, Sean Colletti, Carl Sealeaf, Wuzza Razz and so so many more can all be found in Brum. Two poets I’ve performed alongside who I really enjoyed but aren’t based in Birmingham are Raymond Antrobus and Kaveh Akbar.

Do you have a poem you would like to share with our readers?

I wrote this poem walking home in the snow and just taking some time to enjoy the calm of the night

Abominable Snow Woman

Snow hitting the inner corner of your eye feels like it should hurt, but it doesn’t
The snow simply sits there
Cries itself out
Curves down the contours of my face
Tickles its way into crevices and faults and flaws
As its cold seeps into my skin
And I can’t feel my face
And it’s better that way.
The snow is clinging to my hoodie
I stopped shaking it off maybe ten minutes ago
It is persistent
Clings to itself
The first thing it covers is my breasts
Sheathes me
I become an abominable snow woman
And as I walk back in,
I am amazed by how long it takes for the snow to thaw
It is nothing if not persistent.
And when I am changed out of wet clothes
And my toes are now dry
And I am inside
I am still frozen

Do you have any advice for new writers?

I always highly recommend going to see poets perform, because in my opinion, it’s the best way to develop as a spoken word artist. Try to explore a variety of styles so you can work out what affects you the most, and what you would like to perform. You’ve got to be patient with yourself- at first you might not think your poetry is that great, but you’ve got to keep going and just keep trying to write the kind of poetry you want to read/see. Also remember that poetry is very subjective, and affects everyone differently. I’ve had some poems that I’ve been unhappy with that other people have really enjoyed. Most of all, just do your best to keep writing and keep enjoying writing.

You are a neo surrealist language poet from Brooklyn. Congratulations on your new poetry collection, Immaculate Days, published by Alien Buddha Press. Can you tell us about it?

About 3 years ago I had a personal trauma and Immaculate Days grew out of that situation. Those were dark days in my life and channelling my feeling into poetry was natural for me.

What is it you love about poetry? Have you considered writing a novel or a play?

My talent for poetry comes from my father who encouraged me to write in high school. I remember he gave me his typewriter and gave me his blessings. I wrote extensively in high school but it was never serious, at least I never took it seriously. There were others who encouraged me to pursue poetry.

Can you share some of your poems and the inspiration behind them?

I wanted to dedicate a poem to William Carlos Williams and this was the result:

Sonic threshold of the sacred

To William Carlos Williams

What waxes wanes
the enforced reincarnation hour
and green quartz veins
over the mind of pride
nonentities
Nowhere you!
Everywhere the electric!
the golden one
living in a poetic world, devouring words
these are the thoughts that run rampant
love paves the way to our existence

I watched an action movie called Nemesis, and I really wanted to use that word in a poem:

Nemesis sky

A secret transmission
a noncoincidence found in
infinitization of otherness
the flame under the rubble
traversed unceasingly by the horizon
interdependence of a cosmic trigger
blossom quick synastry
sweet bitter officialdom
of the nemesis sky

This poem was built like an improvisation:

Silentium

Underneath the arches of these generalities
the past, present and future
of the eternal menagerie
enchantments
like a bouquet of fire through the lyric
guilty pleasures that enter while you exit
cyan deserve claim
bestow kiss merge rot
speculate dragonfly
linked deletions and much more

What themes keep cropping up in your writing? What do you care about?

I am all over the map when it comes to themes, the most important thing about my writing is that what I write excites me.

When I write, the most important thing is honesty, being able to accurately channel that nexus of feelings and emotions is key.

If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

Poets in general should be more supportive of each other.

Who inspires you and why?

Synth music, disco….I am a keen observer. The sights and sounds of the city…..Lately I have adopted the philosophy of a radical acceptance. I am not a practicing Buddhist, however I relate to a lot of Buddhist concepts.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Being young you take a lot of blind chances. I have dealt with substance abuse and depression. I am hesitant to give any advice to anyone. All I can say is that you educate yourself and find yourself, because each person is a unique manifestation.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

No, not really…I think writing is a magical art and each individual finds their own footing in it.

What are you reading at the moment?

Last year I discovered two phenomenal poets-Ric Carfagna and Felino A. Soriano, they have really changed me as a writer. My writing was missing spice and I added some.

What is next for you? What plans have you got?

My friend Mark Sheeky from England has expressed a desire to collaborate with me on a project.

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