1 - How did your first book change your life? How does your most recent work compare to your previous? How does it feel different?
My last book was actually a turkey dinner, and while it received rave reviews, those people will say anything when they are all sleepy from the tryptophan.
2 - How did you come to poetry first, as opposed to, say, fiction or non-fiction?
I believe that, in no small part due to the genius of David Price, the Jays have what it takes to go all the way this year.
3 - How long does it take to start any particular writing project? Does your writing initially come quickly, or is it a slow process? Do first drafts appear looking close to their final shape, or does your work come out of copious notes?
The great thing about this question is that I know what all of these words mean, individually.
4 - Where does a poem usually begin for you? Are you an author of short pieces that end up combining into a larger project, or are you working on a "book" from the very beginning?
My poems usually begin as cake, but I hate sweets, so they end poorly, as poems. Then they become books, mostly because of how they randomly come together in the bottom of my litter basket.
5 - Are public readings part of or counter to your creative process? Are you the sort of writer who enjoys doing readings?
Has anyone seen my creative process? I wanted to make a craigslist 'missed connections' ad for it, but then got bogged down in the details.
6 - Do you have any theoretical concerns behind your writing? What kinds of questions are you trying to answer with your work? What do you even think the current questions are?
My friend's dad shares a birthday with Leonard Cohen. I think the most important question is, Does Leonard Cohen share a birthday with Leonard Cohen? Or is it just his birthday, full stop? Bruce Springsteen's birthday is a couple of days later, but there's obviously no question as to whether The Boss shares with The Boss. Of course he does. He's probably doing it right now.
7 – What do you see the current role of the writer being in larger culture? Does s/he even have one? What do you think the role of the writer should be?
The tallest brigantine captain I've ever met is six foot five, whereas your average writer is, what – maybe five ten? So, I would say the writer's role in this larger culture would be to start doing more pushups.
8 - Do you find the process of working with an outside editor difficult or essential (or both)?
I love the outdoors.
9 - What is the best piece of advice you've heard (not necessarily given to you directly)?
Be better.
10 - What kind of writing routine do you tend to keep, or do you even have one? How does a typical day (for you) begin?
I rise at first light and collect farm fresh eggs from the henhouse. While trundling this fine produce to the market in town, I silently compose ghazals for the morning dew, and commit them to memory without breaking one single, precious shell. In this way, I avoid making omelettes.
11 - When your writing gets stalled, where do you turn or return for (for lack of a better word) inspiration?
I ease off on the clutch.
12 - What fragrance reminds you of home?
The smell of my aunt's French maid blanching asparagus.
13 - David W. McFadden once said that books come from books, but are there any other forms that influence your work, whether nature, music, science or visual art?
Fibonacci would probably appreciate how you called nature a form.
14 - What other writers or writings are important for your work, or simply your life outside of your work?
Writers don't usually come into my work. The last time a writer came into my work, I asked him to take his Guinness glass off of the Pac-Man arcade table and he called me a cunt.
15 - What would you like to do that you haven't yet done?
Yes.
16 - If you could pick any other occupation to attempt, what would it be? Or, alternately, what do you think you would have ended up doing had you not been a writer?
Being presented with false dichotomies always makes me wish that Marty McSorley had my back.
17 - What made you write, as opposed to doing something else?
Opposable thumbs.
18 - What was the last great book you read? What was the last great film?
The last great film was Lawrence of Arabia. Everything else is shit.
19 - What are you currently working on?
I am currently working on my friend Ian to let me use his answer to question 18.
12 or 20 (second series) questions;
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