12 or 20 (second series) questions with Arlene Naganawa
Arlene Naganawa’s
work appears in The Inflectionist Review, La Piccioletta Barca,Whale Road Review, Fatal Flaw, Thimble, Whale Road Review, Barnstorm,Belletrist, Crab Creek Review, Crab orchard review, Waxwing, Calyx, New DeltaReview, Poetry on Buses, and in other publications. Her chapbooks include Private Graveyard(Gribble Press), The Scarecrow Bride (Red Bird Chapbooks), The Ark and the Bear (Floating Bridge Press), and We Were Talking About When We Had Bodies (Ravenna Press). I Weave a Nest of Foil, her full-length debut, is new from Kelson Books.
Arlene has been the recipient of grantsfrom the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture and Artist Trust and was awarded acreative residency at Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, WA, and served as ajuror for the 2024 poetry residency.
Arlene has been a Writer in the Schoolsfor Seattle Arts and ectures, instructor at Hugo House, poetry mentor and sitelead for the Pongo Poetry Project at Judge Patricia H. Clark Children andFamily Justice Center, and poetry teacher at Echo Glen Children’s Center inSnoqualmie, Washington.
1 - How did yourfirst book or chapbook change your life? How does your most recent work compareto your previous? How does it feel different?
My first chapbook, PrivateGraveyard, was the winner of a contest. I was stunned that it was chosenand it encouraged me to keep writing. The work in that first chapbook issomewhat different from the writing in subsequent books. I was writing morepersonally then. My new work is often, but not always, fragmented, ekphrastic,and collage-like. I use a persona almost always now.
2 - How did youcome to poetry first, as opposed to, say, fiction or non-fiction?
I’m not really sure. I have always read fiction–my English degree was much morefocused on fiction than poetry. I didn’t start writing poetry until I graduatedfrom college and then almost accidentally. I took a short workshop from ateacher in my high school English department, James Masao Mitsui. He was anexcellent teacher, pointing out what was surprising, jarring, devastating, andbeautiful in our lines and images. He was very encouraging and I had some workpublished right away, so I kept writing poems. My thinking is not very linear,so writing short poems without narrative lines seemed more natural than writingstories or novels.
3 - How long does it take to start any particular writing project?Does your writing initially come quickly, or is it a slow process? Do firstdrafts appear looking close to their final shape, or does your work come out ofcopious notes?
Writing takes me forever. Once in a while, I write a poem inone sitting, but I usually draft over and over, returning to a work many times,sometimes even over a period of years. I do like to write out a first draftquickly, even knowing that it is terrible, so I have something to revise. Ilove revising. I rarely take notes, but I think my work would be better if Idid.
4 - Where does a poem usually begin for you? Are you an author ofshort pieces that end up combining into a larger project, or are you working ona "book" from the very beginning?
My poems begin in various ways–with a single image, a linefrom another work, a prompt, a work of art, or something I’ve seen orexperienced. I’ve been working with Marie Howe’s idea of taking notes ofobservations without using similes or metaphors or any kind oftransformation–just record the figure or scene as it is without imposing anykind of interpretation. That leads to some interesting details for poems. Iwork best with concrete details. I find that using a “concept” for a body ofwork doesn’t turn out well for me. I enjoy poems that slide in from the cornerof my subconscious without thinking about a theme or tying them to other poems.
5 - Are public readings part of or counter to your creative process?Are you the sort of writer who enjoys doing readings?
I don’t like reading in public. I read when it is thecourteous thing to do. I believe in helping the presses and organizations wework for, but I don’t like being the center of attention. Most of my poems workbetter on the page than out loud. I enjoy attending readings very much.
6 - Do you have any theoretical concerns behind your writing? Whatkinds of questions are you trying to answer with your work? What do you eventhink the current questions are?
I don’t really have theoretical concerns. If I had a wideraudience, I would try to address humanitarian concerns more directly. It’sdifficult to write about such topics in original ways in poetry. The currentquestions include: What can art do to create more humane conditions in theworld? How can art encourage people to pressure governments and corporations toput the environment and people before profits? How can art encourage people to“live simply so that others may simply live”? How can art stop killing?
7 – What do you see the current role of the writer being in largerculture? Do they even have one? What doyou think the role of the writer should be?
Writers help shape behavior and attitudes. Historically,this has always been true. People’s attitudes are shaped by the mythologies,literature, and theatre they see and hear. Often, writers are the best criticsof their times, opening the eyes of their readers to cruelty and injustice,both in fiction and nonfiction. Writers also affirm generosity and kindness, aswell as provide a moral compass. Currently, social media has taken over therole of literature for a certain segment of the population, and many consumersof social media are influenced by, well, influencers. But the influenceindividual creators will be short-lived compared to that of great authors. NoTikTok influencer can replace such writers as Toni Morrison, James Baldwin,Shakespeare, and many others. I doubt that the message of any individualinfluencers will last a hundred years, or even a decade. And many people stillread. Readers look to authors for guidance and affirmation of humanity.
8 - Do you find the process of working with an outside editordifficult or essential (or both)?
My personal experience with editors has always been positiveand enjoyable. I love seeing my work through their eyes, and I will usuallyrevise if they suggest revision, even if I also liked my original words.Editors work very hard, and I appreciate them.
9 - What is the best piece of advice you've heard (not necessarilygiven to you directly)?
Don’t worry about rejection.
10 - What kind of writing routine do you tend to keep, or do you evenhave one? How does a typical day (for you) begin?
Unfortunately, I have no routine. I write in bursts. I don’tstart the day by writing. I usually spend an hour cleaning house in themorning.
11 - When your writing gets stalled, where do you turn or return for(for lack of a better word) inspiration?
My writing groups and mentors share very creative prompts.Some of my best, and strangest, poems were written in response to prompts.These prompts vary and often avoid the “write about a time when” prompts. My favorite prompts often utilizeerasure or collaging from other sources, including YouTube transcripts or namesof paint colors.
12 - What fragrance reminds you of home?
Clorox bleach and Vano starch. My mother cleaned and ironedbetter than anyone.
13 - David W. McFadden once said that books come from books, but arethere any other forms that influence your work, whether nature, music, scienceor visual art?
I’m often influenced by visual art. Art museums are some ofmy favorite places to visit. Seeing Picasso’s Guernica at the Reina Sofia wasone of the most powerful experiences in my life. I love all periods and stylesof visual art. The paintings on the walls at Lascaux, Dawoud Bey’s photographs,Van Gogh, everything.
14 - What other writers or writings are important for your work, orsimply your life outside of your work?
There are so many that I can’t choose! I often return toMarie Howe.
15 - What would you like to do that you haven't yet done?
There are many places in the world that I’d like tosee, but I find travel so exhausting that I probably won’t see them. I’d liketo learn another language.
16 - If you could pick any other occupation to attempt, what would itbe? Or, alternately, what do you think you would have ended up doing had younot been a writer?
I was a middle and high school teacher for many years, and Iconsider teaching my calling. I wouldn’t have chosen another career. I loveworking with young people.
17 - What made you write, as opposed to doing something else?
That’s a question. I would have liked to play an instrumentbut my early attempts at violin didn’t go very far. I enjoyed drawing butdidn’t have an opportunity to learn visual art in school. We didn’t have muchart in my public schools, but we did have English language arts, and I lovedthe literature we studied, so that was an influence. If I’d had fine artsclasses, maybe I would have developed visual art skills, but maybe not. I’m notgood at sports or cooking.
18 - What was the last great book you read? What was the last greatfilm?
“Great” is pretty subjective. A slim but beautifully writtenbook I just read is Foster by ClaireKeegan. I also liked Florida and Matrix by Lauren Groff. And Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So. I’mnot sure about film. My favorite film is the original Alien, but I can’t say it’s “great.” I’ve rewatched it many times.I like many films, all genres..
I’m looking forward to my copy of Radi Os by Ronald Johnson, but it hasn’t yet arrived.
19 - What are you currently working on?
I’m currently writing poem by poem–no project or specialtheme.
