01-28-2013, 02:23 AM
1. What are the biggest wastes of time in becoming a better poet?
Worrying about whether or not you're good, and letting that anxiety get in the way. Just write. Write until you enjoy what you write as if someone else wrote it: then keep writing. Write until other people, that really like poetry, truthfully admit to liking it: then keep writing.
2. What are your favorite instructional books/videos and resources on poetry?
Other poetry. Anything you want to read or listen to; as long as you're actually reading and writing poetry and not only filling out exercise blanks.
3. What are the biggest mistakes you see many beginning poets make?
Forcing their words into poetic-like forms that take away from the substance of the content. There needs to be a balance there that makes form and content feel like a unified whole.
4. Even at the higher skill levels, which mistakes are most common?
Getting lazy, I guess. I don't know. I never think about things like that. The only skills I have are a cross between fear and trembling, and fear and loathing. While the fear is mostly neurotic nonsense, I have a lot of anger. I'm skilled at crafting the forms of my anger.
5. What are the stupid myths about poetry that you hear over and over again?
Almost everything that anyone says about it.
6. What are your key principles for becoming a better poet?
Desperate anger mixed with perfectionist tendencies; and the overwhelming need to be affected by spiritual creativity.
That's all I've thought to say now.
Worrying about whether or not you're good, and letting that anxiety get in the way. Just write. Write until you enjoy what you write as if someone else wrote it: then keep writing. Write until other people, that really like poetry, truthfully admit to liking it: then keep writing.
2. What are your favorite instructional books/videos and resources on poetry?
Other poetry. Anything you want to read or listen to; as long as you're actually reading and writing poetry and not only filling out exercise blanks.
3. What are the biggest mistakes you see many beginning poets make?
Forcing their words into poetic-like forms that take away from the substance of the content. There needs to be a balance there that makes form and content feel like a unified whole.
4. Even at the higher skill levels, which mistakes are most common?
Getting lazy, I guess. I don't know. I never think about things like that. The only skills I have are a cross between fear and trembling, and fear and loathing. While the fear is mostly neurotic nonsense, I have a lot of anger. I'm skilled at crafting the forms of my anger.
5. What are the stupid myths about poetry that you hear over and over again?
Almost everything that anyone says about it.
6. What are your key principles for becoming a better poet?
Desperate anger mixed with perfectionist tendencies; and the overwhelming need to be affected by spiritual creativity.
That's all I've thought to say now.