Established in 2018, TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books.
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We don’t expect an elevator pitch from a poet, but can you tell us about your work in 2-3 sentences?
Peacocks on the Streets explores what is wild and
unpredictable in our lives — both what slams us and what uplifts us — and how
we find the resolve to triumph after trauma. The poems’ subjects range from
pandemic bereavement, hate crimes, and terrorism, to falling in love at
midlife, adopting a child, and caring for a parent stolen by dementia. With
grit and compassion, Peacocks
on the Streets offers an acute sense of the privilege of being
alive.
What boundaries did you break
in the writing of this book? Where does that sort of courage come from?
I broke personal boundaries in
that I began to write about some previously self-censored subjects, such as the
emotional pain of my infertility and my often fraught relationship with my
mother, a tension that peaked in my teens and 20s but always lingered under the
surface. This loss got magnified once my mother plunged into dementia. The
courage came from the grief I experienced even before my mother’s passing, as I
watched her deteriorate cognitively and physically. My mother’s death released
me to claim my truths and to see situations, whether real or conjured, with
more clarity and a fuller appreciation of multiple points of view. This has led
to an even deeper authenticity, strength, and warmth in my work, which I find
people relate to.
Tell us a bit about the highs
and lows of your book’s road to publication.
I spent a bunch of years sending
a version of Peacocks to competitions offering a book-publication prize,
and I received several finalist or semifinalist notifications. I steadily continued
to publish pieces in literary journals and anthologies, and I didn’t give up
trying to place the manuscript. I had previously published two full-length
books and a chapbook, and I had confidence in the work. My breakthrough came
when I began investigating and submitting to independent presses that offered
book publication and royalties but not a prize. First I was offered a yes from an
independent press whose seven-page contract did not seem author-friendly. Like
the vast majority of poets, I don’t work with an agent — there’s not enough of
a financial return on most poetry books to be of interest to an agent. So, I
joined the Authors Guild and had my contract reviewed by an attorney on the
staff. After that consultation, I sent an email to the publisher, requesting several
changes to the contract. Via email, they withdrew their publishing offer,
saying we were too far apart. That was not my happiest day.
But soon Broadstone Books
offered me another yes. That was a hallelujah day. I’ve had a great experience
with Broadstone.
What’s your favorite piece of
writing advice?
My favorite writing advice comes
from a one-day master class I had with the late U.S. poet laureate W.S. Merwin.
“We don’t write poems,” he maintained. “We listen for them.” Wow. I found that approach
to be powerful — that the writing process is not so much that we will a poem
into being, but instead that we get ourselves to a quiet place and listen for
the words.
My favorite writing advice is
“write until something surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of
this book?
This is something that surprised
me after I had written the book. It didn’t occur to me until two people
mentioned it that Peacocks on the Streets is rife with animals — five
kinds of birds, a coyote, mountain goats, pandas, a hamster, manatees, deer, tadpoles,
zebras, a beagle, fish, corals, seals, dolphins, whales, a ladybug, and more — and
that I was making a statement about the wisdom and supremacy of animals. Okay,
I suppose that makes sense. But it was never my conscious intent to suggest
this!
How did you find the title of
your book?
The book’s title, which is also
the title of the poem “Peacocks on the Streets,” comes from that time during
the pandemic when we were in quarantine and the streets were so empty that,
worldwide, wildlife ventured out to residential and commercial areas. “Peacocks
on the Streets” was always the title of the poem, and I knew, even before the
poem was complete, that it would be the unifying, flagship piece and title that
spoke for the entire book.
Inquiring foodies and hungry
book clubs want to know: Any food/s associated with your book?
In the poem “Peacocks on the
Streets,” my persona buys a rotisserie chicken. Here is my completely
subjective ranking — from “Bleh” to “Meh” to “Scrumptious” — of supermarket
rotisserie chickens available in the D.C. area.
5. Costco
4. Whole Foods
3. A tie: Safeway and Harris
Teeter
2. Giant
1. Wegman’s—the best!
*****
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
THIS AUTHOR: https://michelewolf.com/
ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR TBR STACK (THE 20% OFF DISCOUNT CODE IS POETS24): https://www.broadstonebooks.com/shop/p/peacocks-on-the-streets-poetry-by-michele-wolf
READ SEVERAL POEMS FROM THIS
BOOK: https://michelewolf.com/poems.html
