Compiled By Andy Belilos
Sentry Staff Reporter
What is your book called?
History of the Body
What age group is it directed toward?
There is no set age group to whom the book is directed, though I doubt the work would interest anyone younger than high school age.
What is it about?
It is a book of poetry, so it doesn’t have a traditional plot as a novel would have. However, the poems center around a number of themes, not the least of which is how we relate and live inside of the bodies that contain us. The poems explore how we inhabit that body in childhood, as young adults, as we grow older, have children, and –because a few of the poems deal with my mother near the end of her life– the body as it begins to age and fail us.
Why did you decide to write a book?
I have loved writing since I was a very young girl. I wrote poetry, short stories, plays– even what I used to call “novels,” which were just ridiculously silly stories I dreamed up, wrote down on notebook paper and stapled together.
Who inspired you to write?
Well, initially, my father, who was a writer, and whom I admired very much. He brought me up on poems and stories and a reverence for words. But I have since met and read many poets whose work I value highly. Their work has served as an inspiration to me.
What were some challenges you faced?
As I mentioned, I didn’t find a publisher to accept the book immediately. It took years. I also knew that if I wanted the book accepted, I would need to get many of the individual poems in the manuscripts accepted for publication by reputable literary journals. That was an ongoing effort.
What are some techniques you used to stay focused?
That has never been too difficult for me. The hardest part was all the other demands I have in my life that competed for my time. I have written at all times of the day, but I find the best time for me is on Saturday and Sunday mornings, with the help of a lot of coffee. When I have an idea for a poem, it isn’t a matter of staying focused, because really, it is pretty much all I can think about until I can get it written.
Did you have any rituals you did while writing?
Well, as I said– I felt like I needed the coffee! And I do demand a quiet environment to write. I’m always amazed by my student writers who write with ear buds in their ears, music cranked up high. I could never focus with that sort of distraction. I want to hear nothing but my own thoughts.
Did you ever have writer’s block?
Sure, there have been times when I wanted to write, and nothing came. I know that some writers say you have to be disciplined, make a time for writing and stick with it. But for me, it’s more like being a surfer. You have to wait for the perfect wave. When it comes, it lifts you up and takes you with it. That’s what it is like for me when I am writing well.
How did you get over it?
My most effective strategy for helping the inspiration along is to read a lot of work by poets I admire, and then go for a long walk– by myself, no iPod. All the amazing work I’ve just read is buzzing around in my mind and something about walking helps to release my own ideas.
When does it hit stores?
The book was published In September, so it has been available for months. Outside of a few literary bookstores that focus on poetry, I don’t think you’ll find it at an actual store. Traditional bookstores find it very hard to sell poetry, beyond the big names like Frost and Dickinson. It is available online via Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Will you be doing any poetry readings?
Yes. I’ve already read at George Mason University’s Fall for the Book Festival, at Shirlington and Westover Libraries and at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda. I’ve got several readings coming up. Locally, I’ll be reading at One More Page Books in Arlington on Monday evening, March 4th, 7 p.m.
