What, Why, How: Jessica L. Walsh

What:

I write poetry and a very occasional essay. I’ve been writing poetry since elementary school, and though I’ve tried to recall what prompted me to start, I honestly cannot remember. I wonder sometimes if it’s in my blood. My late grandmother, who was a difficult and emotionally distant person in daily life, nevertheless experienced a private, intense love of poetry. I’ve heard stories that she would prop a book up on her ironing board and sometimes become so engrossed that she’d burn o...