We love learning more about our contributors, and an interview seemed like a fun way to hear more about the writers and artists we publish, so we gave them a choice of questions to answer. We hope you also enjoy hearing more about the artists and their works. Get yourself a copy of our Work and Labor Issue to read "Death of an Appalachian Hardware Store" from Karen Paul Holmes...
What was the inspiration for the piece published in the issue?
It’s pretty much a true story, or at least the things that happened in the poem either did or could’ve happened. The guy, Steve, really did suggest a flashlight he liked, and he did help me match a paint. The old timers really did quit their jobs once the store stayed open on Sundays. I just had to write about how sad/mad I was to lose a good old-fashioned, messy, but wonderful hardware store and to have a soulless corporate store take its place.
Who or what inspires your work generally?
I’m inspired by things I see in the world or by stories that seem to need telling from my life – past or current. Much of my inspiration comes from reading other poets’ poems.
What is your creative process? Do you plan pieces out or let them happen as they come?
Definitely let them happen as they come. I don’t plan pieces other than sort of hearing them in my head – maybe almost whole poems, but usually just snippets – ideas, images, metaphors, which I jot down (often on a scrap that I find later and don’t know when or why I wrote it). I try to turn these snippets into a poem when I can sit down and let it flow. Then I edit like crazy. Many of my poems have probably gone through 15 or 20 drafts. And even though I labor over each poem, I end up writing at least one poem a month, sometimes more.
What do you do in the rest of your life and how does that connect and/or conflict with your creative life?
I’m a freelance business writer, and when I have a project, I start itching to have more time to write poetry. But the good things about having a project are that I get to paid to write, can be somewhat creative, and I enjoy challenging myself to write with as few words and as much precision as possible, because that’s the fun part of editing a poem.
If you're part of a workshop group or other creative community, tell us about it! How did it form, what all do you do, and how does it help your creative process?
I’m part of both, but I’ll talk about my writing group, the Side Door Poets. We meet monthly to discuss one poem each. I formed the group about 15 years ago because I didn’t want to write in a vacuum. I knew I needed feedback. Some of the members have been with us for 5 years, while others joined in the beginning. Most of us have books published and some teach English and have MFAs.
We trust each other. Because poems often touch on personal subjects, I believe poetry groups like this develop a closeness that goes beyond critiquing each other’s poems. But we aren’t namby-pamby with our critiques – we give helpful feedback, and I know my poems have benefited. We also attend members’ book launches, cheer their success, share publishing opportunities, and support each other in many other ways.