We don’t expect an elevator pitch from a poet, but can you tell us about
your work in 2-3 sentences?
Flint and
Fire is
a collection of poems about life in America that explores such social
conditions as single motherhood, poverty, addiction, divorce, racism, mental
illness, incarceration, and relocation trauma.
Which poem/s did you most enjoy writing? Why?
Four of my favorite poems from
this collection are “Prairie Rumors,” “Forty Acres South of Mayetta,” “Shard
Studded Floor,” and “Junk Mail.” I had a fairly clear vision when I set out to
write these poems but was also able to let go enough to allow them to become
what they are. “Prairie Rumors” is a bit mystical while “Shard Studded Floor”
and “Junk Mail” are pretty concrete and realistic. In all cases, I am happy
with what these poems are doing in terms of imagery, sound, structure, and
story. I also like where they are placed in the collection as a whole.
Which poem/s gave you the most trouble, and why?
“January Respite” comes to mind.
It has undergone considerable revision between the time it was accepted for
publication and the date that it was published, meaning the version in the
book, a more recent manifestation, is quite different than the one published by
Literary Mama. “Osawatomie October”
was also difficult to finish. The first few lines came to me relatively
effortlessly, but finding the right conclusion was tough. I found the right
ending by going back into the poem in search of an image that would help bring
the poem full circle. Both of these
poems attempt to provide a different perspective on mental illness and
addiction, two obviously broad and difficult subjects to approach poetically.
Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s road to
publication.
Writing individual poems was
generally a highlight of this experience, as was the day I learned that the
collection had been selected by Jericho Brown for the Hilary Tham Capital
Collection Series and would be published by The Word Works, but there were a
lot of lows during the process as well. I mean, the challenges that come with
revising poems is sometimes quite thrilling and sometimes downright
disheartening, not to mention heartbreaking when a poem just isn’t working and
is relegated to the failed poems folder. Though necessary in the pursuit of
publication, I would count rejections as a low, too, and I personally also
experienced a lot of anxiety figuring out which poems to include in the
collection and into which order they should be arranged.
What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?
Give yourself permission to
write crap and write past it.
My favorite writing advice is “write until something surprises you.”
What surprised you in the writing of this book?
I was really surprised when
someone described my collection as being about America, but it really is. I
suppose this is a result of my moving around a lot my entire life, in and out
of the country, and having been constantly exposed to a variety of perceptions.
Seeing my “home” from the perspective of others is pretty-eye opening and sometimes
quite amusing. It’s much more enlightening to consider these alternative
perspectives through writing as opposed to becoming defensive or close-minded
about them.
How did you find the title of your book?
It was lifted from
one of the poems within the collection, which is inspired by images of the
Kansas Flint Hills during prescribed burnings in the spring. My good
friend and colleague, Izzy Wasserstein, suggested it after reading through an
early version of the manuscript.
Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any food/s associated
with your book? (Any recipes I might share?)
Now that you mention it, I do
refer to something called Midwestern spaghetti in the poem “January Respite,”
which is just a made-up name for a common dish I used to make a lot because it
is quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive. All you have to do is prepare the
desired amount of spaghetti noodles, though I suppose any kind of noodle will
work, then heat your favorite kind of tomato sauce, premade or your own, and
add a package of spaghetti seasoning (like McCormick). I served it with garlic
toast, which I often made from leftover hotdog buns, butter, and garlic powder,
or garlic salt if there is no garlic powder in the house. My spaghetti making
is a little more sophisticated these days, but this recipe got me through a lot
of lean times.
*****
READ MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR & BOOK: https://zingarapoet.net/about-me/
ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR TBR
PILE: https://www.wordworksbooks.org/coming-soon/
READ A POEM, “Shallow Roots”: https://theplumtreetavern.blogspot.com/2018/03/shallow-roots.html
