GS&NS: Are there any artists (poets, musicians, painters, etc.) that you’re loving at the moment?
A.J.: I am a huge fan of Brenda Shaughnessy’s work. Her imagery is so powerful, it transports you. Lyn Lifshin is considered the queen of the small presses for very justifiable reasons. The expanse of her poetic brilliance never fails to amaze me. I find the honest brutality of Charles Bukowski classic in a very underappreciated way. And finally, the innovation of Heller Levinson seems to have no boundaries, and that is impressive on a level I cannot even begin to describe.
GS&NS: What advice would you give to emerging writers?
A.J.: What advice would you give to emerging writers? Another way to think about it: what advice would you give to your ‘younger’ self? The advice I have for young writers is this:
1. Write for yourself, not for anyone else. Ours is an incredibly subjective business, and editorial preferences change hourly. Never write for your readers. If your work is clean and honest, readers will find you. 2. (And this goes hand in hand with number 1) Don’t let rejections discourage you. One editor’s rejection is the next editor’s Pushcart Nomination. I have poems that I have had rejected hundreds of times and poems that have published the first time I sent them out. None of that is a reflection of the quality of the work.
It’s just a reflection on the literary tastes of the editors. And finally, 3. (And I would argue this is the most important) Never pidgeon-hole yourself into one style of writing. Try everything. Some things you will like, some things you will hate, but writing, even poetry, like all art is fluid and always changing. Never be afraid to try a new style or technique, not matter how much success you had/have with one style. I see this so much in younger poets that I have encountered. They want to be only confessional or only experimental poets, and while there is nothing wrong with either of those styles, defining yourself in such a rigid manner can only impede future growth. And trust me, even after 20 plus years of writing, I can tell you there is always room for growth.
Connect with A.J.:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/amy.huffman.5
Twitter: @Poetess222
Evolution: An Anthology