Fine Flu Journal Fine Flu Journal- june 2014 | Page 20

my imagination, and since words came easily to me, (unlike, say,
drawing) poetry became a natural way of expression, allowing me to
explore various voices and worlds.
3) What does poetry, as an art form, mean to you?
Needless to say, poetry is very important to me. I memorize poems
fairly easily and naturally (part of the professor’s bag of tricks, if I
admit the truth) and I get a great deal of pleasure reciting poems in my
head when there is nothing else to do or read. Believe me, this comes
in very handy when one is having an MRI! I love the blending of sound
and sense, the visceral power of vivid imagery, the strangeness of other
voices. I also love to write poems and actually feel a sensation of calm
alertness and even joy in the act of creating.
4) Where do you prefer writing? Do you need a certain space?
Do you have a daily routine?
Because of the nature of my work, I have tended to write in my office
whenever I had a reasonable space of uninterrupted time. When I was
on sabbatical last year, I wrote at a little desk in our kitchen (where I
am writing at this very moment). My preferred routine is to rise early,
eat a light breakfast and go for a walk, shower and then sit down to
write. I am, by preference, a morning writer, though if it comes to that,
I can write anywhere, at anytime.
5) What writers have influenced you? What writers or poets are
you reading now?
Since I regularly teach poetry, the work and voices of many writers and
poets live in my head. The Williams – Blake and Wordsworth and
Carlos Williams – come to mind, but also Wallace Stevens (especially
short poems like haunting “Snow Man”), some Frost, H.D. for her
concision and images. I’ve been directly, and consciously influenced by
20