We don’t expect an elevator pitch from a poet, but can you tell us about
your work in 2-3 sentences?
Stay is a book that considers what it costs to remain in an
identity, belief, or geographic area, as well as what it costs to leave those
things. The poems use American songs and stories to think about these costs on
a national and personal level.
Which which poem/s gave you the most trouble, and why?
Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong was the poem I probably put the most
hours into; it’s different in structure and tone for me. I usually don’t do
“assignment” poems or try to write a particular kind of poem, but for this poem
I wanted to try to write a Someday I’ll Love. . . poem. I had heard both Ocean
and Roger Reeves read their versions of this (in response to a Frank O’Hara
line) and wanted to see what it would be like for someone other than a man to
write one. I was really pleased that it ended up both reflecting that kind of
poem while not adhering to previous versions. Then it had all those couplets,
which seemed correct for the poem, but drove me crazy. Every time I changed 1
line, it would often mean I had to work on everything after. While I might make
some reading adjustments to it, thank god it’s finally in a stable version in
print.
Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s road to
publication.
When I was writing my first
book, I had no idea I was writing a book. I was just writing a bunch of poems
and then had to, years later, look back and try to figure out what they all had
in common and how they held together. Stay
was a million times easier. I knew I wanted to end up with a book and I knew it
was all about staying or leaving in some way. While I still had to put together
an order, the whole process felt much simpler.
What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?
Your poem should please you. Your
poem doesn’t have to please other poets or your writing group or your teacher
or your audience. It has to feel right/done/accurate to you and no one else.
My favorite writing advice is “write until something surprises you.”
What surprised you in the writing of this book?
After hearing Timothy Donnelly
and Tim Seibles each (at different readings) read 1 long poem as a whole
reading, I knew I wanted to try making a poem that sweeping and ambitious.
While it didn’t quite end up to their works, I loved the way txt me im board ended up as the center
poem, the poem you work your way to and away from. It became a poem I could
organize the book around.
Who is your ideal reader?
I think a lot about who is going
to hear/read these poems and what they will get from them. My ideal reader is unaffiliated
with a university; they feel left out of or adjacent to power. They are
surprised to hear/see themselves reflected in art but find the experience
meaningful. They like to make things and clap at the end of poems because they
know it is hard to make anything that works well.
Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any food/s associated
with your book? (Any recipes I might share?)
The Horseshoe makes an
appearance in Bobby Bare. It’s one of
those great American sandwiches you get at a local joint, and if you ever find
yourself in the flat corn and soybean fields of central Illinois, I highly
recommend one. The cheese sauce in this
one looks a little high-faluting, but
I like that someone in the comments recommends the best places to get one. It’s
probably more of an eaten-out than a made-at-home thing.
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READ MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR/BOOK: https://www.tanyaolson.com/
ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR OWN TBR SHELF: https://www.yesyesbooks.com/product-page/stay-by-tanya-olson
READ A POEM, “54 Prince”:
