My Interview with Kelli Agodon in Redactions, Some Scenes of Hummingbirds, Supermoons, and Mt Rainier, 100 plus Heat Wave

Sylvia with Redactions Issue 25

My Interview with Kelli Agodon in the new Issue of Redactions

Happy to have an interview I did for Redactions Issue 25 with poet, friend, and publisher Kelli Russell Agodon about her new book with Copper Canyon Press, Dialogues with Rising Tides, available online and in the new print issue. Here’s a quick quote:

“JHG: You have an interesting philosophy about the attitude of competition and scarcity in the poetry world. Could you talk a little about that?

KRA: I guess I do have an interesting philosophy in that regards – I believe in the poetry world, there is enough for everyone. I reject the scarcity mindset that the field is only big enough for so many of us and only so many can come to play. That’s nonsense, we can always use another poet. And we don’t have to feel threatened by them, that now there will be one less spot for me to publish my poems…Just because a poet doesn’t win a prize, doesn’t mean that their book isn’t changing someone else’s life this very moment or having a profound effect on someone. I have never believed success can be measured in art – people try to measure it based on American beliefs such as “this book is better because it 1) sold more copies 2) won a prize 3) was published by a certain press 4) was featured in a certain journal or magazine 5) got an excellent review 6) made the author earn X number of dollars” and so on. . . . Who said that was success? Who wrote that definition? That’s not my definition of success – my idea of success isn’t built from opinion and numbers.”

Here is a link to read it.

Strawberry Supermoon

Some Scenes of Hummingbirds, Supermoons, and Mount Rainier – and 100 Plus Heat Wave

We’re going to break some heat records in the days coming up, which means probably a lot of people sickened – as a city we’re only 44 percent air-conditioned, so getting up to 109 (!!) on Sunday and Monday is a bid deal here. Let me tell you the many reasons spring and fall are my favorite seasons…I saw as I try to save my flowers from the 102 degree heat today. Even the sunflowers think it’s too much sun!

Since this week has been hot, that means my MS acts up a little more than usual, and I spent more time than usual observing birds and flowers and staying up for the Strawberry Supermoon. I also got a beautiful shot of how clear Mt Rainier was one day. But I haven’t had the energy to do much besides water my garden and take photographs. I’m also anxiously checking my e-mail every night, hoping a note from a publisher will come through on one of the three manuscripts I’m submitting. Not very productive, either. Supermoons always interrupt my sleep and make me anxious. I don’t know why, even though they are beautiful.