I grew up on a farm in central Alberta. My father was a religious fundamentalist, he married late and died young from cancer. My mother was an intellectual who had been through WWll as a nurse and remained tough minded but somewhat scattered for the duration of her long life. I studied writing at U of L, published and gave many readings in my earlier years. I found “the poetry wars” competitive, meaningless and stressful. So I quit the cities, and have worked and lived at the edges of civilization for many years. I continue to write and study.
Questions & Answers
Is there a specific moment that inspired you to pursue poetry?
The idea of writing poetry started to take hold when I was about 18 years old. It grew into a natural thought.
How/where do you find inspiration today?
In study: history, philosophy, intelligent discourse, buddhism, literature, nature.
What is your revision/editing process?
I get the initial draft down, then re work and polish till satisfied. Let it sit. Then work on it again and again.
Did you write poetry in high school? If yes, how did you get started? If no, why not?
No. It did not occur to me.
Do you use any resources that a young poet would find useful (e.g. websites, text books, etc.)?
Read intelligently.
When you were high school aged, what would have been helpful/motivating to hear from a published poet?
Poetry writing is a method of inquiry; if your goal in writing is anything other than understanding, it is a waste of time. The purpose of life is to evolve!