The Next Big Thing

I was asked by friend and fabulous poet Ivy Alvarez to take part in this self-interview meme called The Next Big Thing. The idea is to talk about your current or forthcoming book using a pre-determined set of questions. You also have to tag other bloggers to take part in the meme. Blog memes used to be de rigueur, but since blogging has dropped off a bit they don't come around as often. Anyway, here's my answers and you'll see who I've tagged at the end.

What is the title of your book?
Render (it will be out in April 2013)


What genre does your book fall under?
Poetry

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Poems of a family in crisis, of infidelity, of sexual discovery and 40 years of pop culture.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
Finding an "arc" or theme for a collection of poetry is always a difficult process. It wasn't until I saw the Sally Mann exhibition in London in 2010 that the idea of each poem being a photograph of the past began to formulate.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
This collection has been in the works for about 10 years, although a couple of the poems date back to the '90s.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
The poems are distillation of growing up in the '70s, '80's, '90s and early '00s. Referencing classic movies, TV shows, music and world events also help ground the poems in time and place.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
The book is being published by Sibling Rivalry Press.

What other works would you compare this book to within your genre?
I don't do comparisons, but I will say that some of my influences are Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, Frank O'Hara, Margaret Atwood, Sharon Olds and Stan Rice.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Since this is poetry, I doubt anyone's going to make a movie out of it, but there are some great actresses mentioned in poems in this collection, including Pam Grier and Margot Kidder.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
"Accessible" is often a dirty word in poetry, but I've tried to make these personal poems universal. I want readers to open the collection and see snapshots of the past that are both strange and familiar.

I've tagged Jessica Handler, January O'Neill, Will Kenyon, Charmaine Gordon, Justin Evans and Theresa Davis.