Tag: Poetic Perspective

Poetic Perspective with Antonio Eramo

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

Today we have the privilege and honor of sitting down for virtual coffee with best-selling poet Antonio Eramo.

His book is in the Top 100 in all 3 Kindle Categories, and even in the Top 20 in 2 categories with more than 168 reviews.

My review of his book is available on Instagram here.

  1. What was your purpose behind writing Cicadas Serenade

Cicadas Serenade was written to be my own version of “song of myself” (Thoreau). My song, like the song of the Cicada, is loud and can be perceived as annoying…but it is nonetheless natural and beautiful in its own right. As far as purpose goes…well, it serves the same purpose as any song within nature, it means everything and nothing at the same time.

2. What’s your favorite thing about nature?

My favorite thing about nature is that it almost mocks man in its perfection. Every lesson I have ever learned I can see expressed in nature…and there is a great irony that we can only see the wisdom of nature after our own failures.

3. What do you hope people gain from Cicadas Serenade?

I hope to gain several things from this book. The number 1 thing would be understanding. Although the manner I express myself isn’t straightforward, I hope that those close to me can read between the lines and understand the overarching meanings. The number 2 thing I hope to gain is a bit of traction within the poetry community. The poetry community is oversaturated and it is very difficult to stand out or be heard. I am hoping that this book can help usher in a return to form for poetry. Most modern poetry is full of bromides and bad line breaks, and I think the reader deserves a bit more than surface level thoughts masquerading as a poem (insta-poetry).

4. As a poet and a writer, where do you see your career going next?

As a poet, I see myself slowly climbing the ranks on amazon and establishing my work as an indie publisher. I am adamantly against big name publishers, so I do not see myself submitting to any of them anytime soon. I do not foresee myself ever being able to live off my work as a poet, which is definitely a blessing in disguise…I feel that if you treat art like a job/career then the work suffers 

5. Any new books currently in the works?

I have a new book out called “The Day Prior” which features AI artwork. Most people have been using AI to create art…but I was more curious as to how ai interprets art. I plugged each poem in as the input and had an ai generator interpret the poetry and create a corresponding image. The point of the collection is to analyze the process of interpreting art. In general we have a major issue with something I like to call the “coerced consensus”…in school we interpret things as we are told to interpret them…likewise, ai can only interpret things based on its algorithm (how it is told to interpret). I am curious to see if the images impact the readers ability to interpret the poetry and if it influences their perceptions before they even read.

6. Who are some of your favorite poets?

T.S. Eliot and Robert Frost

7. Who inspired you to become a poet or was there a pivotal moment that made you become a poet?

I don’t really remember what kicked off my fascination with words, but I do recall that it was a sudden snap. One day I just started writing poems.

8. Anything else you want to share with my readers about poetry or your writing career?

A bit of advice for anyone new to poetry…learn the forms and learn poetic devices before embarking on the journey. After you learn the rules you can break them…but for the love of god, learn them first. 

Poetic Perspective with Matthew Gutierrez

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

Today, we have the honor and privilege of sitting down for virtual coffee with Matthew Gutierrez, author of Notes I Wrote Along The Way. A review of it can be found here.

  1. What was the exact moment you decided to begin writing Notes I Wrote Along The Way?
    I had been writing for years before 2019, so I had quite the collection, but in 2019 it dawned upon me that
    I should release them into the world so others may enjoy them and not keep them locked in my computer.
  1. One of my favorites from the collection is Universal Control? Can you tell us more about the backstory
    behind the piece?

This poem speaks about the complete control that the universe has over all living things; the universe
maintains complete control, and we are subject to the twist and turns that are thrown our way. I believe
that our existence is part of the universe’s plan and we must all play a part and complete a purpose to that
plan.

  1. Besides poetry, what else have you written?
    I have written screenplays, short stories and currently I am working on more poetry and a longer fiction
    piece that will become a novel.
  1. Do you plan to write another poetry collection? If so, do you know what the themes may be?
    I am currently working on writing more poetry and editing and rewriting pieces that I already have picked
    out for my next collection. I want the next book to be more personal, more direct about pieces of my life
    and things that have happened in my life. The themes will remain the same as the first collection, I like to
    focus on the universe, a higher power, love, life and death.
  1. Who inspires you most in your life?
    I inspire myself… my life inspires me and the people that come In and out of my life inspire me in some
    manner. Life is full or inspiration and sparks ideas to write.
  1. Who are some of your favorite poets?
    I would say that I am a fan of Pablo Neruda, John Keats, Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Phillip B.
    Williams, Roger Reeves.

7.What’s your favorite thing about poetry?
I love poetry because you can find the right words for a poem that you cannot seem to discover when
speaking to another human being. I started writing poetry due to the lack of courage I had to say a few
things on my mind. I found it easier to write them as poems instead.

  1. What is most misunderstood about poetry in your opinion?

The state of being abstract. I hear often, in my MFA program, that I can be a bit too abstract, and I need to
be more grounded and concrete when writing a poem. While I am working on being more focused on
describing a scene, I do believe that I am that poet and have to stay true to what I do.

#PoeticPerspective With Author Shaye Baker

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

The Smart Cookie: Shaye, thanks for joining me today. What was the moment you realized you should use poetry to share your story?

S Baker: Thank you. I was in the process of writing a full-length horror novel when my life became its own horror story. I received a world-shattering phone call that my brother died in a car accident. It was sudden, like the snap-of-the-finger. The only platform I had to share my thoughts was, sadly, a journal. I’m an introvert, and don’t do well with a lot of social activity. Poetry allowed me to express everything I was feeling, processing.

The Smart Cookie: What inspires the ideas behind the poems you write?

S.Baker: My brother lived and worked as a musician; he’s a brilliant pianist. He travelled the world, playing for Holland Airlines B. B. King band. When he passed away, I realized how great his impact on this earth was, and wrote my poems to leave my own legacy. He may be physically gone, but his presence, art, photos, memories, are very much alive, fossilized within the people he loved.

The Smart Cookie: Outside of poetry, would you ever consider writing a memoir to share your full story? 

I toyed with the idea, in my full-length horror novel there are striking resemblances. I would consider it. 

The Smart Cookie: Has writing this collection helped you find peace despite the tragedy?

S. Baker: It has, you couldn’t imagine what this collection has meant to my family and I. So. Yes, it has been cathartic. Great question, by the way

The Smart Cookie: What is a Cerebral Fossil?

S. Baker: Another great question. So. A fossil is any trace or remains of any once living thing. Cerebral Fossil is the memories, art, thoughts, poetry, books, text messages, love notes, social media posts etc. left behind by any once living being. It’s deeper than that, but I’m okay with my concept inspiring personal interpretations for others. 

The Smart Cookie: Any advice for anyone who resonates with this collection?

S. Baker: Be vulnerable. Allow yourself to feel and don’t stop yourself from seeing where those feelings take you.  If your feelings lead to calling your brother or sister in the middle of night and saying “I love you,” then do it. I’m an introvert, and I don’t always pick up the phone or reach out to people because social settings drain me. Still, I wish I could go back and do more. I am doing more now.

#PoeticPerspective With Best-Selling Poet Molly S. Hillery

Posted on by The Smart Cookie

Today, my guest of this new series is Molly S. Hillery Best-Selling Author of Bare Roots and Recently Released Follow-up collection The Medicine That Burns.

The Smart Cookie: Molly, Thank you for joining me today. Any writer would definitely agree that the act and art of writing is in itself very cathartic. What was the moment you realized you should write poetry to share your story?

Molly: That’s a great question! I have always wanted to become an author and I always loved journaling and writing as a child. After what I went through in my teen years, I really felt like sharing my perspective. I didn’t write for fame or fortune, it was just special to me to be able to share my story and fulfill my dream of publishing.

The Smart Cookie: You write about real human struggles related to trauma and mental illness. What inspires your ideas for poems?

Molly: All of my poems come from my own experience and perspective. A lot of the poems I wrote in bare roots were inspired by blogs I had published in early 2015, that I fit together into a cohesive narrative. Many of the poems in The Medicine That Burns were written in first-person perspective from journals and many were written following therapy sessions.

The Smart Cookie: Outside of poetry, would you ever consider writing a memoir to share your full story?

Molly: I think in their own way, both of my collections are a memoir. They are just more stylized and easier to digest, in my opinion. Readers who have read both books will have a pretty solid idea on what I have been through throughout my life!

The Smart Cookie: I think in their own way, both of my collections are a memoir. They are just more stylized and easier to digest, in my opinion. Readers who have read both books will have a pretty solid idea on what I have been through throughout my life!

Molly: On the good days, I feel creative and enjoy writing and being artistic, like painting and collaging. I love to just relax and unwind after a full workday, so the normal Netflix, snuggling with my dog, and talking to friends on the internet works for me! I also spend a lot of time with my family these days, which has been a nice change of pace. My nephew will be three this summer!

The Smart Cookie: Bare Roots and your upcoming release Medicine That Burns share similar truths about the after effects of trauma and traumatic experiences but Bare Roots uses a resilient view while Medicine that Burns is darker, raw, and emotive. What was the writing process like for each book, and which one to you felt like more of a release than anything?

Molly: The writing processes for both books were very, very different. I wrote, edited, and published bare roots in four months. I worked on it almost addictively; my husband and I were going through a rough time and I almost used writing the book as a safe haven/escape. My perspective on life really changed after my divorce; Four years passed between the two books and I lived a lot of life in between then. I started writing The Medicine That Burns in quarantine last year when I was on furlough from work. This process was a lot slower, and I took my time with it. 

The Smart Cookie: What are your final words to those who are broken and bruised, and resonate with your poetry?

Molly: It sounds cliche but, that you are not alone, and that there is hope. I also really encourage people with trauma to continue to seek out appropriate treatment, because seeking the wrong kind of care can make things worse. At the end of The Medicine That Burns, I share some modalities of therapy that have helped me– I even had a medical procedure done to aid in symptoms. I want to share these with people in hopes that they can find relief in some of their symptoms, too. Trauma informed care is essential to recovery.

To find out more about Molly and her poetry, visit mollyhillery.com