What writers have inspired you?
I can tell you instantly: Alice Munro and William Trevor. They're fiction writers (mainly, short
stories),who write about ordinary people and again and again, show “the human heart in conflict
with itself.”(I'm quoting Faulkner's Nobel speech.) And they write like a dream. Sure and lyrical
ordinary speech. I'm probably harping on this "ordinary" thing, but, personally, I'm not a fan of
the “Jenga" poetic line, or the stacking and self-conscious layering of sounds. I mean, good for
you, but are you talking to me?
Also,in fiction, I"d happily add Joseph Conrad and Kazuo Ishiguro ( they’re deep!) and in poetry,
Philip Levine, Terrance Hayes, Rita Dove and Louise Glück. And in music, which is my home,
Curtis Mayfield, Joni Mitchell, and Aaron Copland.
What projects are you currently engaged in?
I am writing a Creative Nonfiction book that I call a "Humanities Primer" It is meant to provide
background information on poets, writers, artists, musicians, and history for what I call grades 13
and 14, or the first two years of college (which I teach.) It also has these quirky “memoir" pieces,
which I call, “five random facts". For example, I have a lazy eye. (That is random.) Its working
title is Bad Dog, which is a term that Vincent van Gogh once used (to describe himself) in a letter
to his brother Theo. He was describing the attendant rejections and humiliations of living your
life as an artist. The genesis of the book is that it occurred to me that it is pretty fruitless to try to
discuss Flannery O'Connor as a “Southern Gothic" writer if the concept of the American Civil
War also draws a blank. As in, my students have really never heard of it. No, really. Vietnam is
also an “If you say so” subject.
How have you spent the year 2020?
I have had a pretty good structure for getting through the day. Fortunately, I have a Brittany
Spaniel, (Tana Lee), so every day starts with an early morning walk, usually dawn or pre-dawn,
with both of us lost in the quiet and birdsong. Then, back home, Brazilian coffee, and reading,
reading, reading; then up to my desk where I begin to then write. Usually, I break off between
1:30 - 2:00. And then —that poor dog! — she’s gets another walk whether she likes it or not..
Then shopping, more reading, and Zoom meetings until dinner. Also, I sold my house . . that
was .exhausting.
How have you maintained your artistic skills during lockdown.
Two ways: One, I’ve really buried myself in research for my CNF book, particularly with artists
like van Gogh and Monet, who “bookend” it.. This may just be my own really peculiar belief,
but I feel that the more I understand about art and composition, the better I then become as a
writer. Also, because I am working on a chapter about Robert Hayden, I spent months reading
and researching anything I could find about him. Finally,, I spent a lot of time reading poetry,
poetry criticism and prosodic theory from Philip Levine, Robert Hayden, Louise Glück, and
Louis Simpson
Do you have any goals for the New Year?
Not really. I just hope to become a better writer and reader. But I do have two goals that are
unrelated to my writing.
1. Go back to studying and learning to speak Dutch ( pandemic pause.)
2. Travel back to the Netherlands, Finland and Estonia. Tallinn! What a trip!
Is community important to your writing? Are there any magazines or small presses that
you feel a strong attachment to?
These Literary/Art Magazine always Produce:
Hot Metal Bridge magazine
Bellingham Review
Hole in the Head Review
Tar River Poetry
And I always have liked the work of these presses:
Cave Canem,
Black Lawrence Press
Graywolf Press
The Ecco Press
Writing is a lonely profession, so community is everything. I belong to a writers group that
meets twice a month. a poetry open mic that meets once a week, and a literary feature group that
meets once a week as well. All Zoom, and all writers reconciled to the fact that this is going to be
our reality for a while. But we’re writers and we’re grateful, and we’re in it together.