Sunday, December 7, 2008

Questions from Poetry Readings

Someone asked me at my last reading what were the funniest questions I'd ever been asked at a poetry reading. I thought about the usual questions . . . None of which are particularly funny, but they make me smile a little, maybe because of the quantitative or perscriptive view of writing . . .

Do you write every day? Do you write at the same time with the same type of pen and paper every day? Do you write the same number of pages or words each day? Do you write for the same number of hours? Do you prefer lined or unlined paper? Do you compose on the computer or in the back of your mind? Do you belong to a book group or a writing group? Do you need to be with other writers? Do you like other poets? Which one or ones? Do you wish you lived in New York City or L.A. or D.C. ? Or do you prefer to live in Poland, Ohio? Are your kids ashamed of you? What about your mom? Do you feel guilty? Or depressed? What depresses you? Do you think all poetry and poets suffer from depression? Do you ever wish you weren't a poet? If you could not be a poet, who would you be?

2 comments:

Valerie Loveland said...

I think it would be hard not to make up ridiculous answers to all those questions.

Zaphos said...

I think you could make a really funny prescriptive guide to writing ... and you should! The Nin Andrews Guide to Successful Writing. Remember to write every other day, no less than five thousand words, no more than six thousand and seven words. Once I wrote six thousand and eight, and since then I have never recovered ...