When did you first encounter poetry? How did you discover that you wanted to write poems? I was a latecomer to poetry really, outside of the limited exposure in grade school and high school. I remember one Old English Poetry class in college in 1979. But really it...
When did you first encounter poetry? How did you discover you wanted to write poems? It began with Bob Dylan’s lyrics at the age of thirteen and then Charles Bukowski was the first poet I read—no, no— I could “relate to” somehow. From there, my whole high...
a conversation between Lip Manegio and Bradley Trumpfheller It seems fitting to begin an interview with the beginning of your book, so I wanted to ask about your epigraph, which is half critical text quote and half song lyric. That kind of mixing of the “high” with...
A conversation between Frances Donovan and Holly Guran, Co-organizer of Rozzie Reads
Poets Laureate Across Massachusetts A note from the interviewer, Alice Kociemba Martha’s Vineyard is a just short ferry ride from Woods Hole, a village of Falmouth. As a resident of Falmouth, I have been lucky enough to visit the Vineyard frequently. I have always...
I read your interview with Frontier Poetry, & in it you talked about the joy you felt when Bury Me in Thunder was accepted for publication, and during revision. I’m wondering if you could talk about moments of joy you encountered in the process of writing the...
A conversation between Frances Donovan and Timothy Gager
Reading series interview: lily poetry salona conversation between Frances Donovan and Eileen Cleary Does your series happen on a regular schedule, such as the second Tuesday of the month? If so, what is it?We typically meet once a month on a Friday evening. The date...
As your artist bio states, your last two collections centered around very distinct themes (deer and the moon) -- does Ugly / Sad have a central image at its core as well? Ugly/Sad is centered more around a feeling, or a group of feelings, than an image – it’s this...
So, the calendar has flipped to another year since the release of this collection; have you found your feelings towards these poems or the themes they deal with shifting over time? Yes! I finally feel like TAAH is finished. It’s exciting to focus on new projects &...
Reading series interview: SOLIDARITY SALONa conversation between Frances Donovan and founder Lisa DeSiro How did the Solidarity Salon come about?When my first book of poetry was published in March 2018 by Nixes Mate, I wanted to arrange some events to promote it. But...
Do you have a writing routine? A favorite time or place to write? I write between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., weekdays, September to mid-June. I go to work an hour early and set up in a nearby coffee shop. Finding this schedule wasn’t easy. For years I tried to fit...
Reading series interview: Unearthed song & Poetrya conversation between Frances Donovan and co-founder Anna V.Q. Ross How did Unearthed Song & Poetry come about?I’ve lived here in Dorchester for almost 15 years, and more often than not, I’ve found myself...
Tell us a little bit about your new collection: what's the significance of the title? are there over-arching themes? what was the process of assembling it? Is it a project book? etc. I’m the father of three neurodiverse kids and the work in The Boy in the...
Reading series interview: Voices of poetrya conversation between Frances Donovan and host Neil Silberblatt How did Voices of Poetry come about?I began organizing Voices of Poetry series of poetry readings in 2012 due to what I perceived as a dearth of opportunities...
Tell us a little bit about your new collection: what's the significance of the title? are there over-arching themes? what was the process of assembling it? was is a project book? etc. In terms of the title, I always like to find a word or phrase that seems...
Do you have a writing routine? A favorite time or place to write? I prefer to write in the morning, caffeinated or after a meditation. When writing, I listen to one song on repeat. Typically something instrumental or fast-paced that is able to transport me. When...
A conversation between Erica Charis-Molling and editor Jim Kates
A conversation between Erica Charis-Molling and managing editor Janet MacFadyen with press members Richard Wollman and Anna Warrock
Do you have a writing routine? A favorite time or place to write? Yes, I write every day. Not poems every day, per se. But my daily blog, inspired by my walks in nature and the photographs I take, inspire my writing ritual. My blog, #NewThisDay, is my kind of shared...
Do you have a writing routine? A favorite time or place to write? I would certainly like to develop one! As they say, any great artist has a studio practice. For me, lately, writing just happens and at the most unexpected times--strolling into work, walking the dog,...