Author Interview, Katherine Mayfield

Interview #59, with passionate truthteller: Katherine Mayfield!

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Idealistic, fun-loving, passionate truthteller.

Share a short excerpt and blurb of your work (10-100 words):

“I think about how art and music heal the holes in the human soul that we create with our own dysfunction.…

My lifelong goal is to create a beautiful mosaic of a life from the broken bits of a traumatic childhood, a light-filled stained-glass window fashioned of the shattered shards of the self I’ve excavated.

I wonder: does everyone try to fit the pieces of their lives together as if they’re working on an unfamiliar jigsaw puzzle? Or only those of us who were so disassembled that most of the pieces don’t even match?”

– The Box of Daughter, Katherine Mayfield

Share an excerpt of your favorite poet’s work (10-100 words):

“The body never lies.” – Alice Miller

Comment on the writing versus publication process, in your experience:

For me, writing is a passionate terror, a terrible passion, a burning need to express myself and the ideas that rush through me from wherever they originate. Some days, I love it more than anything, and other days, I want to tear my hair out in desperation to find the word or phrase that expresses exactly what I feel.

The publication process, on the other hand, is much more logical and orderly — not without frustration, but it’s a more linear process for me than the process of writing, which is somewhat like living in a blender with a meditation room attached.

What is your definition of “good writing”?

Meaning that touches the heart and soul, words that heal, thoughts that inspire.

Please share your #1 tip for poets/writers:

Another line from my memoir, The Box of Daughter: “I often wonder if the alternate meaning of writer’s block is ‘Somebody in your psyche is getting in the way of your being able to express yourself.’ ”

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in listening to the old voices and writing the “right” thing that we think we can’t write anything at all. In my mind, the best cure for writer’s block is writing wildly and madly about anything and everything, especially about whatever you’re feeling.

Your websites/blogs/etc:

I blog on Dysfunctional Families on my website: http://www.TheBoxofDaughter.com

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Much thanks to Katherine for stopping by! Katherine kindly hosted me for a recent guest post (part of the Teen Guide blog tour). Be sure to check out her memoir, The Box of Daughter — the story of her journey to recover her authentic self after growing up in a very dysfunctional family.

Poet Interview, Amber Decker

Interview #58, with the funny, blunt and nerdy: Amber Decker!

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Nerdy
Industrious
Romantic
Funny
Blunt

Share a short excerpt and blurb of your work (10-100 words):

True Beauty (excerpted from Lost Girls)

Her dead father once told her
that dead things are beautiful
because they have given of themselves
and in their death show the living
the truest form of beauty.

Once, she fell in love deeply enough
to let a boy stretch himself through
the wilderness of her body.

When he surfaced as if from under oceans,
he licked her nectar from the flowers of his fingertips
and told her she was beautiful.

And when she opened her mouth to reply,
only dead things fell out.

That’s deep — well-done! Share an excerpt of your favorite poet’s work (10-100 words):

Bluebird (by Charles Bukowski)

there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say, stay in there, I’m not going
to let anybody see
you.

Did reading a poem first spark the desire to write poetry, or was it an experience?:

Honestly, I’m not sure. I’ve been writing since I can remember, but I think I really started to take poetry seriously in high school. Someone gave me a copy of Verses that Hurt: Pleasure and Pain from the POEMFONE Poets, which was the first poetry anthology I’d ever owned up to that point. Before that, I hadn’t experienced much poetry outside of an English class — mainly Whitman, Poe, Frost and Dickinson.

Verses showed me what poetry could accomplish and how it could be used to take snapshots of places, people and experiences. It taught me about abstract images and how to open up worlds with fresh new language. After that, I was reading anything poetry-related I could get my hands on, and suddenly I was writing my own poetry. Now I can’t seem to stop.

Oh yes, Poe and Dickinson ;) Good thing the Verses anthology somehow founds its way to you. What goal do you seek through your poetry?

My main goal is to take my readers into a moment, to create images that stick in their minds even after the poem is finished. I also try to be as relatable as possible. I don’t want to be one of those elitist, academic poets with no clue how to talk to or write for people who are not also academics. I believe that poetry is like good fiction; it’s meant to be enjoyed — not decoded.

Yes, the best type of art is perhaps memorable as well as accessible. Please share your #1 tip for poets/writers:

If you want to write poetry (and do it well), you need to READ poetry. There are many fledgling poets out there who just don’t do this…and I’m afraid it’s pretty obvious when a poet hasn’t done their homework. Also, while I think that the classic “master poets” were (and still are) quite fabulous and should certainly be added to a list of poetic “must-reads”, remember that a lot has changed since these poets were alive and writing. POETRY has changed..a lot. Read contemporary journals. There are tons of them out there, and the range of the poets published in those journals is amazing. Try different forms, experiment, and find your own unique voice.

ITA — language is something that evolves along with the human species (for better or worse). Your websites/blogs/etc:

http://roughverse.wordpress.com

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[Sweet Relish, by Amber Decker]

Much thanks to Amber Decker for stopping by! Be sure to check out Rough Verse, where she talks about life and poetry :)

Poet Interview, David Greshel

Interview #57, with pop-culture junkie, David Greshel!

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Creative, Dreamer, Listener, Pop-Culture Junkie.

Share a short excerpt and blurb of your work (10-100 words):

watch the silhouette fade away to the inside of a distant shadow as we creep along the expanse of this haunted night…..footsteps tread lightly as we walk among the dwellings of the left behind….tension dimly lit by the last sliver of a dying moon….will the past undo the things we’ve often hoped for with their whispered resolutions and uncertain dreams….troubling this sleep we often never rest…compelled we wander on…..not quite lost but never really found…

Share an excerpt of your favorite poet’s work (10-100 words):

Sirens

Midnight
criminal metabolism of guilt forest
Rattlesnakes whistles castanets

Remove me from this hall of mirrors
This filthy glass

Are you her
Do you look like that
How could you be when
no one ever could

Jim Morrison

We just featured Matthew Andrako the other day who’s greatly inspired by Jim Morrison! Did reading a poem first spark the desire to write poetry, or was it an experience?:

I think it was a bit of both really. My grandmother wrote poetry and she used to read some of them to us when we were kids. I think that was my first real exposure to the form, but I didn’t get the desire to write my own until much later on. That came from a Jr. High English assignment, and I discovered that I really enjoyed reaching inside myself to pull out these ideas and emotions that I had a hard time really getting out in other ways.

That was kind of like what I experienced with journal writing :) What goal do you seek through your poetry?

I think more than anything I want it to mean something. Not just to me, but to everyone who takes the time to read them. I want everyone to take a piece of it with them because it speaks to them, maybe in more ways than I even consciously intended. I remember reading Morrison’s work outside of The Doors, and also works by Rimbaud, William Blake, Baudelaire, Bukowski and Kerouac and being completely moved by them. They spoke to me on many different levels and enlightened experiences that I might never have but could somehow relate to. Those are the same things that I aspire to. Money and Fame might be nice, but Poets are generally not famous until after death and the last bookstore I was in had their Poetry section reduced to four shelves in the corner by the bathroom so record sales figures are clearly not there.

Yes, I do sometimes think that commodity production is costing society its soul (and its ability to appreciate good things like the arts). Please share your #1 tip for poets/writers:

Don’t be afraid of your influences. It’s ok for those to shine through your work as they helped you develop and aspire to the work you’re doing. Don’t be afraid to grow beyond them either and become your own voice. Don’t let the fact that Publishers aren’t knocking down your door to promote your work stop you from putting it out. If you’re happy with it, there are plenty of DIY options available to help you share your dream with the world.

ITA — that DIY aspect is one of the best things about the Internet era. Your websites/blogs/etc:

* My book on Amazon

* My Blog

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Much thanks to Dave for stopping by!

Poet Interview, Edward G. Brown

Interview #56, with Edward Giles Brown, who wrote a Sonnet every day for a year in 2005!

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Patient Industrious Stubborn Impulsive Curious

Share a short excerpt and blurb of your work (10-100 words):

(365 Days of Verse: Volume II | Book Cover)

From Volume 1:

Good it does breathing the provincial air,
While wet bullets plunge from the well-armed line,
And spent shells run slick under foot, downhill;
Canopies of green hover on ridges
When no mist grows thick around their borders,
In every season, envious they bloom;
And when no white eclipses heaven’s edge,
Myriad ancient signals make their way
Across an infinite span to meet me,
Each flicker never to be repeated,
New and fragile and then at once dispatched
Through the glory of eyes and intellect.
Many pleasures and sweets in city lights,
But none compare to these rustic delights.

– Copyright 2005-2011 Edward G. Brown

Share an excerpt of your favorite poet’s work (10-100 words):

From W.H. Auden’s The More Loving One

Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.

How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.

Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.

Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime,

Though this might take me a little time.

– Copyright 1960 W. H. Auden

Did reading a poem first spark the desire to write poetry, or was it an experience?:

When I was in high school I used to sit under a tree in the back yard and read Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. There were many times when reading the poetry transformed my experience of life. It taught me to observe and truly see what was around me. Writing poetry always puts me in touch with that kind of experience and I began to crave it. So in a sense, both.

Nice :) What goal do you seek through your poetry?

I always endeavor to capture some sense of truth in my life, and to do it in a way that isn’t trite or shopworn. It’s a huge challenge, especially when working on a project that requires output every day. If I’m honest, I wouldn’t hate a bit of recognition for my efforts. I’ll keep at it regardless because writing is its own reward in many ways.

Yes, the work itself has to bring satisfaction (along with the recognition)! Please share your #1 tip for poets/writers:

Write something every day.

Your websites/blogs/etc:

http://365daysofverse.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/#!/365DaysOfVerse
http://amazon.com/author/edwardgilesbrown

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Much thanks to Edward for stopping by!

POET BIO: Edward Giles Brown wrote a Sonnet every day for a year in 2005 and is publishing them in 3 volumes. Volumes 1 and 2 are currently available on Amazon. Check out his WordPress blog and Amazon author page for more info!

‘Women’s Magazines’

“But it is not the average, twenty-something and up woman that is the most affected by these images and articles. It is the teenage girl who scans the page of Jeans To Fit Any Body Type yet fails to find her own, it is the middle schooler who finds a role model in the likes of the Kardashian sisters and their vapid, materialistic drivel, simply because they are portrayed as the definition of beauty, albeit completely void of character, and it is the young adolescent who sees food as an enemy, gobbling up any advice she can get on how to shed just a few pesky pounds, while keeping a mental note of every evil little calorie that she consumes. These are the girls that we all were, in some form or another, and that some of us still are.”

via ‘women’s magazines’ | The Fear Girls

Poet Interview, Kezia Jones

Interview #55, with poet and preacher’s daughter, Kezia Jones!

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Loyal, Humble, Loving, Sensitive, and God-Fearing.

Share a short excerpt and blurb of your work (10-100 words):

Labels, Tags what is it all 4 2 show

the world you aren’t poor

status symbol of the struggle

a product of your time

proof to the world that u

can shine bright yes u a star

Gucci, Louis, Prada is your light

the label of success

growing up juicy couture

we find our true religion in jeans

and we rock our republic

while our world is falling apart at the seams

but at least we are somebody and we can afford the right things

this is what we struggle 4

these labels and tags have become the American dream

Very nice ;) Share an excerpt of your favorite poet’s work (10-100 words):

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.

– Our Deepest Fear by Marianne Williamson

Did reading a poem first spark the desire to write poetry, or was it an experience?:

My diary is where I released my issues, let out my fears, and learned who I was it was where I first wrote poetry and learned I could express myself through my poetry.

I can totally relate to that :) What goal do you seek through your poetry?

To inspire people to go after their dreams and to seek spiritual connection.

Yes, materialism is not the same as spirituality (and if people can’t understand that, well…). Please share your #1 tip for poets/writers:

Write from your heart.

Your websites/blogs/etc:

www.facebook.com/mytestimonymydiary

www.twitter.com/Queendown4life

www.amazon.com/Kezia-Jones/e/B0080JDV54

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Much thanks to Kezia for stopping by!

Poet Interview, Lisa Taylor

Interview #54, with poet, Lisa Taylor!

Describe yourself in 5 words:

Intelligent, imaginative, perceptive, reclusive, open-minded.

Share a short excerpt and blurb of your work (10-100 words):

It wasn’t revenge
It was only pretend.
The gun at my temple,
True, it’s the end,
But just of the story
Just of the game.
I’ll pull the trigger
But I’m not to blame.

(Last stanza of “I’m Not to Blame” by Lisa M. Taylor, part of Book of Dreams and Nightmares)

Share an excerpt of your favorite poet’s work:

Astrophobos by H.P. Lovecraft

In the Midnight heaven’s burning

Through the ethereal deeps afar
Once I watch’d with restless yearning
An alluring aureate star;
Ev’ry eve aloft returning
Gleaming nigh the Arctic Car.

Mystic waves of beauty blended
With the gorgeous golden rays
Phantasies of bliss descended
In a myrrh’d Elysian haze.
In the lyre-born chords extended
Harmonies of Lydian lays.

And (thought I) lies scenes of pleasure,
Where the free and blessed dwell,
And each moment bears a treasure,
Freighted with the lotos-spell,
And there floats a liquid measure
From the lute of Israfel.

There (I told myself) were shining
Worlds of happiness unknown,
Peace and Innocence entwining
By the Crowned Virtue’s throne;
Men of light, their thoughts refining
Purer, fairer, than my own.

Thus I mus’d when o’er the vision
Crept a red delirious change;
Hope dissolving to derision,
Beauty to distortion strange;
Hymnic chords in weird collision,
Spectral sights in endless range….
Crimson burn’d the star of madness
As behind the beams I peer’d;
All was woe that seem’d but gladness
Ere my gaze with Truth was sear’d;
Cacodaemons, mir’d with madness,
Through the fever’d flick’ring leer’d….
Now I know the fiendish fable
The the golden glitter bore;
Now I shun the spangled sable
That I watch’d and lov’d before;
But the horror, set and stable,
Haunts my soul forevermore!

Did reading a poem first spark the desire to write poetry, or was it an experience?:

I guess it was reading a poem, though I don’t actually remember which poem. I was nine years old and my family had just gotten internet. I was on the computer browsing. I don’t even remember what I was searching for, but somehow I came across www.poetry.com. I read that people could submit poetry and if they won the contest could win money. Well, I got all excited that I could make a fortune (don’t we all miss the days when a hundred dollars was a “fortune?”) right there off the internet. So I browsed through a few poems on the website and thought, “I can do that!” So I opened Microsoft Word and wrote my very first poem, called “Healed.”

It caused quite a stir, especially when poetry.com decided to send a copy of the poem to my house in the mail and my parents got it. The dark nature of the poem (which you’ll find in most of my poetry) concerned them a bit. But it didn’t matter…after that I was hooked. I wrote sometimes a poem a day, and that’s also what led me to start writing stories later that year.

I remember those days too! I’ve discovered many great literary websites since then (such as dVerse and Word Riot). What goal do you seek through your poetry?

Well, in general, to share my inner world with the outer world! Many of my poems tell stories of epic fantasy or science fiction, and have much the same goal as books I write; to help my readers fall in love with a great story. Other poems are a way of expressing emotions or ideas that people are afraid to talk to each other about because it might be unusual or seen as weird. Come on; even if you don’t talk about your moments of insanity…we all have them. Why not share? My published collection, Book of Dreams and Nightmares, is comprised of poems that describe extremely vivid and interesting dreams and nightmares I’ve had.

Please share your #1 tip for poets/writers:

Be patient. Unless you’re already a well known author with a big name, try going the traditional route before self-publishing. You don’t need to start making royalties tomorrow. Take the time to edit, re-edit and edit again. Then send it to some agents, see what they think. Contact some traditional publishers. Your work deserves all the time in the world if that’s what it takes to make it perfect.

Your websites/blogs/etc:

My author website: http://lisamtaylor.net

My book blog: http://www.writersparty.com

My facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/authorlisataylor

My twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorLMTaylor

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Much thanks to Lisa for stopping by!

Lisa’s Bio:

Lisa graduated from West Point in May, 2010, with a degree in physics. Soon after, she was medically discharged from the U.S. Army, and following a short time at graduate school, she found her calling in an old passion; writing.

Lisa began writing poetry and stories when she was nine years old, and never quit. Her first publication was Book of Dreams and Nightmares, a horror poetry anthology that was published in December of 2010. In June 2011, Lisa’s debut novel The Hour of Tiamat, a paranormal fiction, was released for sale in print and ebook versions.

Currently Lisa is writing a Young Adult epic fantasy trilogy, which she is super excited about. She also works part time and the local library, and lives with her sister in Kentucky. Her website is http://lisamtaylor.net