Read that passage from Heather O'Neill's novel, Lullabies for Little Criminals out-loud. She mashes up poetry and oral storytelling tricks with boring old novel prose, coming up with a sharp new voice. Today she explains how she did it.
Welcome to the fourth installment of my deceptively simple feature: Five Easy Questions. In the spirit of Jack Nicholson’s mad piano player, I run a serialized set of weekly interviews with writing pioneers—delivering some practical, unexpected advice about web publishing...
Jason Boog:
You've also written plenty of poetry in your career. Why should fiction writers read poetry? Who are the best poets for young writers to be reading? What are your favorite online resources for poetry?
Heather O'Neill:
I think a lot of poets are writing fiction these days because there isn't a market for poetry. Continue reading...
I use a lot of metaphorical language in the book to capture the way that children perceive the physical world in a different way that adults do. Objects are alive and are constantly changing meaning for children as they appraise the world around them.
They have long conversations with toy frogs and rocks, which is what poets do. Children also make heroes of bums and bad parents, effortlessly subverting conventional intrepretations of society, which is something that I think good poetry does.
I can't think of any specific web site....As far as which poets to read, I think that's like music, you should read what makes you happy and feel more. When I was younger and unpublished, the writers who influenced me most were friends of mine who were publishing chapbooks and reading their work in bars.
We were able to grow together and see what one another was doing and figuring out. The works of published authors, while amazing, seemed completely out of my league and I wasn't sure how I could ever write like them.
It's great for young writers to have a coterie that they can bond with and steal from. Kids with talent have a strong attraction for one another and competiting (sometimes viciously) with one another is a natural and necessary way for art to grow.
Please put me on your E-mail listing!
Thank you!
"Francisco"
Posted by: trailmixx | November 16, 2006 1:03 PM | Permalink to Comment