Heres this weeks interview with a contributor from The Liberal Media Made Me Do It, Christina Lovin. 1. You seem to have done quite a bit of writing about stories youve heard on public radio. Have you done even more on such topics than you sent to the anthology? Are you planning a full collection of these poems? Tell me a little bit about why you find this an inspiring source. My inspiration comes from many places. Since I watch PBS and listen to NPR frequently, I hear stories that inspire me. It’s not that I go looking for them; they seem to just find me. I have an affinity for odd stories or occurrences. Many of my poems that were not sparked by NPR or PBS are still about things, events, or people who are out of the ordinary. I also really enjoy research. I’m a knowledge junkie, in fact. If I hear a story on PBS or NPR, and it spurs my interest, I will look further into that person or story in print or online. I am a college professor, so I have a lot of excellent resources at my fingertips. Sometimes, the account of an incident or person I hear about on the radio will resonate with something that is already percolating in my thoughts. For instance, one of the poems that did not make it into the anthology, “The Dream Life of Gorillas,” fascinated me because I was already intrigued with the memory capabilities of animals. Humans seem to be pretty arrogant about the abilities of other animals. At one time, animals were thought not to feel physical pain. Of course, we know that’s not true now. When it comes to what goes on in their minds regarding fear, sadness, friendship, and so on, we are still just learning. We have a lot to learn about a lot of things, it seems. One of the other poems that was declined, “Why I Don’t Eat Beef,” was recently published in a British anthology. Apparently, these are universal concerns, As for a collection of just these poems, I don’t have any plans. “Writing Blindly” has been the inspiration for a chapbook (a small collection of writing) of poems about tragedies, whether personal or universal, and is the title poem. It is also a favorite when I do public readings. It seems people relate to the idea of all of us needing to leave a message when we are gone. “The Forest of Her” may make an appearance in a chapbook of love poems, Reading Poetry in Bed. “A Cup of White Sugar” appears in my full-length collection, ECHO, which relates to growing up in the 50s and 60s. I am thrilled to have three poems in The Liberal Media Made Me Do It! Thank you for finding them worthy of inclusion in this important anthology. 2. Can you discuss any projects youre working on right now in your writing or in other creative endeavors? I just finished what turned out to be a six-year project on growing up female in the 50s and 60s: ECHO. It is a full-length collection of poetry, including an heroic sonnet crown (15 interconnecting sonnets) titled, “Myth Information,” which deals with events and ideas about the era that may or may not be true (or at the very least misconceptions). I tend to spend a great deal of time on research, so sometimes I plod along for months (or in this case, years) gathering more information than I could possibly use. I am just now gearing up for a couple of new projects. One project that has been on my mind and heart is Alderson Women’s Prison in West Virginia. In the course of the research for ECHO, I learned that both Tokyo Rose (Iva Toguri) and Axis Sally (Mildred Gillars), each convicted of espionage during WWII, were imprisoned there. In the course of my research, I learned that Billie Holiday, Squeaky Fromm (of Manson fame), Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (of ACLU fame), and even Martha Stewart were all imprisoned there. The prison was initiated by Eleanor Roosevelt to give female inmates a safe, secure place for incarceration, particularly after the treatment of women suffragettes in men’s prisons. It’s a fascinating story. I hope to tell it someday. The other project for which I’ve done a great deal of research goes back much further in time, to the time of the Tudor dynasty. In researching my paternal grandfather’s family tree, I discovered a lineage to Henry VIII’s niece, Margaret Douglas. I was very surprised, as I had never heard that my family had any royal ancestry. Of course, research ensued. As it turns out, any ties to the Tudors is tenuous. Even if it is true, it is through a bastard child. There are others researching and trying to prove the link. I prefer to concentrate on Margaret herself. Even though she was the king’s niece, she found herself thrown into the Tower of London three times and incarcerated three times more. It seems she was always getting into trouble. She was lady-in-waiting to several of Henry’s wives, including Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard (both executed), yet seemed to survive. She went on to become the mother-in-law to Mary, Queen of Scots, and grandmother to King James I. There is so much more to her story, but what I was most delighted with is that she was also a poet. What’s more, some of her poetry survives today in The Devonshire Manuscript, along with that of Anne Boleyn’s. You can see why I am so intrigued by Margaret Douglas, regardless of whether or not we are related. 3. Well I found your website and I must say you have amassed quite an impressive array of prizes and credits. Can you offer any advice to the poets who might read this on applying for prizes and residencies? I received my MFA in Creative Writing ten years ago. Since graduating in May of 2004, I’ve had more than 200 individual publications, along with publishing two full-length books of poetry (ECHO and A Stirring in the Dark) and three chapbooks (Flesh, Little Fires, and What We Burned for Warmth). And yes, I’ve won or placed in more than 50 competitions. Along with that, I’ve garnered thousands of dollars in funding for my writing, which has allowed me to spend time at places like Vermont Studio Center, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Prairie Center for the Arts, Bread Loaf, and even a month in the Azores at Foothpaths House for Creativity. I also began teaching college-level writing in the fall of 2004 (I am now a full-time lecturer at Eastern Kentucky University). I’ve been a busy little bee. When I look at my curriculum vita now (all 9 pages at 9 point font!), I can’t believe all that’s transpired in just those ten years. But I do know how: perseverance. One can’t publish if the work is not submitted. I have been on a bit of a hiatus from writing since my last book was published, but when I was writing more regularly, it was not unusual to have 20 or 30 pieces submitted at any given time. This means, of course, that there must be attention to the process of submission. I was a business person for many years, so I understand the necessity of keeping records, particularly when juggling submissions. Only once did I not have something published because it was picked up by another publication simultaneously. As for securing funding, I was pleased to have my article, “Show Me the Money: A Very Brief Guide to Securing Funding for Your Writing” included in the book, Women and Poetry: Tips on Writing, Teaching and Publishing by Successful Women Poets. Basically, my advice is to be precise and keep trying. There are awards, fellowships, grants, and other ways to move one’s writing forward, but one must avail oneself of the opportunities. I remember hearing someone say in a workshop on submitting work: “No one is going to come looking around your hard drive for you work.” Good advice for all of us.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 05:58:13 +0000