MERLENE FAWDRY
- Guest Poet -
G'day guys,
Today I feature a poet of some note - Merlene Fawdry. Merlene Fawdry is an award winning writer and poet, author of The Little
Mongrel - free to a good home, The Hidden Risks, and several books of
poetry. With short stories and poetry published in literary magazines in
Australia and overseas, she is a skilled writing group and workshop
facilitator. She is a qualified editor and proofreader with ten years’
experience in providing professional services for writers, specialising
in mentoring beginning and emerging writers and providing an editing,
formatting & design and manuscript print preparation service for
other writers.
In another incarnation Merlene was a qualified youth worker, advocating
for marginalised young people and their families. She maintains a strong
interest in social justice and is committed to giving a voice to the
oppressed through her writing.
A keen environmentalist, she uses her writing and poetry to create awareness if issues and in 2008 was Writer in Residence at the iconic Cataract Gorge where she produced a body of work, Discourse with Walls, that centred on the gorge and its environs.
Welcome, Merlene ...
TELL
US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR POETRY JOURNEY.
I
was born in Tasmania and now live in a rural town in the state of Victoria in
mainland Australia. I am a writer, poet, writing workshop facilitator, writing mentor
and editor. My poetry journey has been
one of many starts and interruptions – raising a large family and following a
demanding career, times when I wrote in private for my own relaxation or
pleasure. It took many years for me to find my place in poetry, a journey rich
in experience that took me from those early days of writing doggerel, to
writing memorial poems on demand, to denial and finally personal satisfaction.
WHEN
AND HOW DID YOU BECOME A POET?
I became a poet the first time I heard
Wordsworth in the classroom, falling in immediate and lasting love with the
spoken word and I began writing poetry about 40 years ago although, in
hindsight, it was pure doggerel. I had a sense of cadence and a vocabulary that
allowed me to end rhyme without it sounding too forced, but my first intention
was to entertain. I thought I was amusing, witty and smart. I was none of these
things. I was just a fledgling poet who had fallen from the nest a few lessons
short of flight. But this was the beginning of my life as a poet.
WHAT
DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BEING A POET?
I enjoy the portability
of being a poet, of being able to carry my tools of trade wherever I go,
whether that be the words forming in my mind or the first hasty scribbling in
my ever present notebook – the poet’s sketchbook. I like to be able to tell a
story with few words that resonates with the reader at some level, to speak of
nature in Haiku or to illustrate social injustice through free verse.
WHAT
IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT POETRY?
I guess for me the
hardest thing about poetry is the absent muse, the blank page or the blank
screen and the sense of isolation that comes with this, for poetry is a
personal and therefore solitary action. One may have friends or acquaintances,
who also write poetry, but their words can never become yours – you must find
your own.
WHAT
WERE YOU IN A PAST LIFE, BEFORE YOU BECAME A POET?
In my past life/lives
I have been many things but, aside from family, the two most significant have
been the quarter of a century I spent as youth worker, working with
disenfranchised young people and their families and the past decade working as
a writing mentor and editor. I have also mentored many ‘Forgotten Australians’ in writing
their stories as a way to healing and making sense of past injustices.
WHAT
IS YOUR GREATEST WRITING ACHIEVEMENT?
This is a difficult
one to answer as there are many facets to greatest achievements and one of these
would have to be the first poem I had published – seeing my work in print
became my personal smell of the greasepaint and the roar of the crowd. The achievement
I am most proud of however, is having been poet in residence at the Gorge Cottage, Launceston, in
2008 and the collection of poetry, Discourse
with Walls, reflections of the gorge and its environs produced during the
residency.
WHAT
ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
As a poet and writer,
I usually have several projects going at the one time. I have been working on a
family history for the past year, following the family line from two convicts
to Van Diemen’s Land in the 1840s from their pre-colonial beginnings through to
subsequent generations. In poetry, I am writing, gathering and selecting
material for a collection of my own work for publication in 2014.
WHAT
INSPIRES YOU?
Feelings inspire me –
anything that invokes emotion or passion about a subject, whether that is an
eagle in the wild or a backyard sparrow. I am particularly inspired by social
justice issues and the inequity of life – and much of my poetry reflects this.
WHAT
SORT OF POETRY DO YOU WRITE?
I write mainly free verse, but will use other traditional
forms if they are better suited to the work. I like to challenge myself by
learning about and writing in different forms as I feel this adds to my poet’s
skill kit while giving me a better understanding of poetry.
DO
YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR ASPIRING POETS?
I suppose it’s the
age old one of – just write, write for yourself primarily and be flexible in your
understanding of what poetry is – or is not. I would also say don't be afraid
to explore and learn about the craft, attend workshops or follow a study
course, to read the work of other poets and if you don’t understand the meaning
of a poem, read it again and again until you get a feel for it. By
understanding the poetry of others we learn so much more about our own work and
its influences.
DO
YOU SUFFER FROM WRITER’S BLOCK?
While I admit to the
occasional missing muse, writer’s block is not a big issue for me. If I find
myself staring for too long at a blank page I just start writing the first
words to come into my head – often beginning with a question or two to myself.
Why can’t I write? What is stopping me from writing? How do I get past this?
Then I answer the questions I’ve posed. I find this exercise takes me away from
the ‘block’ and most of the answers highlight any issues – subject or
creativity related.
DO
YOU HAVE A PREFERRED WRITING SCHEDULE?
I write every day,
breaking the day up into tasks. There is never a day that I don’t write or do
something writing related.
DO
YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE WRITING PLACE?
In my mind - wherever
I happen to be.
WHAT
IS YOUR GREATEST JOY IN WRITING?
The act of writing,
of transferring thoughts on to the page, is a joyous thing.
WHO
IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR AND WHY?
I tend not to have a
favourite author or poet as I admire and enjoy the works of so many and this
can change depending on my current area of interest. As a copy editor, often my
favourite author is one yet to be published.
WHAT’S
THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT YOU EVER RECEIVED FROM A READER?
‘I wish I’d written that.’
WHAT
WAS THE WORST COMMENT FROM A READER?
‘I’m confused.’ Although, worse than this is the dreaded ‘cone of
silence’ that descends after reading a poem to a group when no comment is made
at all, when you sit staring gormlessly at the words before you, acutely aware
of the silence. This happened to me a few times in the early days, when the
assembly sat in mute silence until some brave soul could stand it no longer and
broke the impasse saying, ‘Well, that was
interesting.’ If it happened these days I’d laugh and break the silence
myself.
WRITERS
ARE SOMETIMES INFLUENCED BY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES. ARE YOU?
I tend not to write about
things that happen in my own life unless they’re from a long time ago –
distance either heightens perspective or blurs it. On the other hand,
everything we write has to be seeded from a time, an event or a person, so I
guess there’s a little piece of me and/or my life experience in everything I
write.
OTHER
THAN WRITING, WHAT ELSE DO YOU LOVE?
The usual things,
family, home and hearth; truth, justice and the Australian way.
DID
YOU HAVE YOUR BOOK / BOOKS PROFESSIONALLY EDITED BEFORE PUBLICATION?
No, but I should have done, or at least had them proof
read by a professional. Although I am a qualified editor and proof reader, it
is always better to have someone else cast an eye over your own work as
familiarity can cause blind spots in us all. I probably wold never have my
poetry edited as all have been subject to a drafting or refining process and
are as I want them to be.
DESCRIBE
YOUR PERFECT DAY.
When inner peace meets ‘all is well’.
IF
YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND WITH ONE PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE? WHY?
Hmm! Have to think further on this one, but probably
Stephen Fry, because he’s intelligent, witty and a very fine poet.
WHAT
WOULD YOU SAY IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO WORLD LEADERS?
Stop (what you’re going) Look (at the state of the world)
Listen (to the voice of the people)
WHAT
ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
Like a well-known paint brand - to keep on keeping on and
to complete current projects.
WHAT
FIVE BOOKS WOULD YOU TAKE TO YOUR GRAVE?
I wouldn’t take any. I’d leave them behind for others to
enjoy.
DO
YOU SEE YOURSELF IN ANY OF YOUR CHARACTERS?
Not really although I suppose there's always a little bit
of self in everything we write. On the other hand, I did write about myself in The Little Mongrel – free to a
good home, a
memoir about growing up as an adoptee and Forgotten Australian in the welfare
system of mid 20th century Australia. Available in various eBook
reading formats by clicking the title link.
DOES
THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY FRUSTRATE YOU?
I’m not sure if frustrated is the word – most often I’m
disappointed with the number of excellent commercial manuscripts swept aside in
favour of lesser works from those with contacts in the industry. As copy
editor, I’ve worked on great manuscripts that have been rejected by publishers,
while bookshop and library shelves carry inferior work. I believe the industry
is still in a state of flux as it struggles to find its place in the ever
evolving world of epublishing.
DID
YOU EVER THINK OF QUITTING?
No. Even if I never had another thing published I would
still write. It is what I do.
WHAT
WAS YOUR FAVOURITE POEM TO WRITE? WHY?
This is a difficult question. I would have to say my
favourite poem to write, although far from my best, would be the poem I wrote
that led me to taking myself more serious as a poet – a natural flow of words
and sentiments that I felt quite proud of at the time. Other than that, my
favourite poem to write would always be the last one I wrote.
HOW
WOULD YOU DEFINE ‘SUCCESS’ AS A WRITER.
Success to me is the satisfactory completion of a piece
of work, whether this is a full length novel, a short story or a poem; of
knowing you’ve met your goal. Acceptance for publication doesn’t define success
for me – I see this as more the bonus for a job well done.
WHAT SHOULD READERS WALK AWAY FROM
YOUR POETRY KNOWING? HOW SHOULD THEY FEEL?
I don’t say what or how they should feel just that I hope
they feel something, that my words have invoked an emotional response. I would
also hope my poetry challenges entrenched ideas and opinions and causes readers
to think outside the box.
HOW MUCH THOUGHT GOES INTO DESIGNING
A BOOK COVER?
The book cover
requires a lot of thought if it is to be effective in reflecting the content –
which is the whole purpose of the design. Poetry book covers usually have less
subject matter but still require thought as to the intended target readership
and what may appeal to them. If you know little about design and layout and the
elements of book cover design I would suggest leaving it to the experts.
WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM?
My
ultimate dream would be to leave something behind that will benefit others in
the future, whether this is through recording truth in history or leaving a
petal drift of beautiful words to cheer others, it doesn’t really matter.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU
WOULD LIKE TO ADD?
Thank you for the
opportunity to appear on your blog. If your readers enjoyed this interview and
would like to know more about me and my writing activities, or read samples of
my poetry and the drafting process, please visit:
Twitter https://twitter.com/merlenepoet
Clancy's comment: Thanks, Merlene. Not sure how you write poetry but I admire you for it. I can write bush poetry but the other stuff seems way too complicated. Well done.
I'm ...
Think about this!
No comments:
Post a Comment