Conducted by Shivana Souchet
Ithaca College Intern to Cayuga Lake Books
- What process did you go through to organize your poetry collection, Salamanders in Winter?
After years of writing poetry, I had hundreds of pieces to consider and no idea how to organize them. My first step was just to go back and read them all, and decide which ones were “best.” That proved to be tricky – it seems that my relationship with each one changes over time, and what I once thought brilliant may now seem shallow and vice versa. Anyway, as I sorted through them, I began to think of a way to group them to make a kind of arc or story line. That arc is shown in the titles of each section, from “In the Garden” through “Falling” and “The Fight,” to“Redemption.” The final two sections, “Zoonomy” and “Sparks” did not really fit that arc, but I included them because they are important to me.
- With such a wide range of poems, how did you decide on the book’s title?
I just love the images in my head when I think of salamanders in winter. Wouldn’t it be magical, a miracle, a sign, to come upon a salamander in the snow? A brilliant iridescence against the cold white, tracing a curving lacework of tracks… And too, what do they actually do in the winter? What are they dreaming? They must inhabit the same worlds I go to each night, as I sometimes find them there.
- Some of these poems speak to world issues and your political views. Did you find these more difficult to write?
No. Rage and grief are powerful engines for creativity. Sometimes I feel like the only thing I can do is to write. Or make art. (Or play with my dog.)
- “Garden of Ghosts” portrays a beautiful memory of gardening with your grandparents. How has your earlier life influenced your poetry?
My grandfather and grandmother on my dad’s side were both playwrights and poets. And courageous social justice advocates. They are always present in some way inside me. They were proof that a life committed to art is possible, and impactful. I never had their courage to try to make a living as an artist or writer, but now that I’m retired, their memories help me to feel ok about spending time being creative, even as the world is burning.
- Why does poetry matter to you?
I want to live in a world where everyone has the time, the freedom, and the resources to express themselves creatively. I write in defiance of the forces that would make us all slaves.
- What themes and ideas hold this collection together?
I’ve described the collection as “exploring the conundrum of living life fully in the midst of societal collapse.” I suppose that is similar to the conundrum of “being human” in any other time in history, except that this is my time, and it feels more dire.
- What would you like your readers to understand after reading this collection?
If I can write poems, so can you! I used to think I had nothing to say that would really interest others. But I’ve found that I do. Writing poems is a wonderful way to explore yourself and share yourself with the world.
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