Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Interview me: Five questions.

One of the myriad blogs I frequent is Victoria Dixon's Ron Empress. Her latest post answers five questions another blogger has asked about her and asks for volunteers to be interviewed. I thought that this would be a wonderful way to get to know others at blogger. After you've read the answers to my questions, you can comment (of course hehehehe) or request to be interviewed yourself. All you have to do is comment to this post with 'Interview me' – simple.

Here are the five questions Victoria asked me:

  1. I love the line of poetry behind your blog's title, but why did you choose it?
  2. You seem to love writing poetry. Who is your favorite poet and does it have to do with a poem, or with their life?
  3. What is your favorite poem or quote?
  4. What is your favorite book?
  5. If you wrote an epic novel, what would it be?

I hope you enjoy the answers below, and let me know if you'd like to be interviewed too.

Aaaah, A Misinterpreted Wave. I chose it because it is what I am; what I have been for most of my life – A Misinterpreted Wave. Stevie Smith's poem, Not Waving, but Drowning, struck a chord with me when I first read it at University. The emotion that I felt when reading it was so intense, that the poem became an instant favourite. The saddest thing about this was the judgement people felt obliged to offer, in that people often felt that unless you could discuss Keats, Shakespeare, Donne and the like you were not discussing real poetry. I liked how the world misinterpreted the waving in the poem, so much like the world we live in. I hope that every time someone reads the poem by Stevie Smith that they realise that they really should look out for others, just in case someone is drowning.

I love writing poetry, and have written since I was about fourteen years old. At high school I had a wonderful friend with whom I would share my poetry, and he would reciprocate in kind. I wouldn't say that I have one all time favourite poet, but there are three that spring to mind when I say favourite. The first is Shakespeare. Despite all of the conspiracy theories that suggest it wasn't he who wrote all the plays, sonnets and the like, all I can say is whoever wrote them was brilliant. To be bound by such structure, yet to be able to write with such grace is a gift I can only dream of. Seeing as I write in free verse (or as I like free falling verse), I struggle to write when such boundaries are placed on me. The fact that I memorised his 18th sonnet in year 10 speaks to the level I fell in love with his writing. I absolutely love teaching Shakespeare, love reading his work, and watching other people's interpretations. The second would be Sylvia Plath. I am drawn to her writing like a drunken moth is to light. A colleague once describe my poetry as being 'Sylvia Plathesque', something I found to be a great compliment. I adore how she uses a plethora of imagery (despite the controversial aspects) to write powerful and confronting messages through poetry. Lastly, I find Wilfred Owen's Futility and Dulce et Decorum Est a lesson in life that is so often ignored. It is easy for me to say that War is wrong, but I have never been. He has, in fact he died during the First World War, and his poems were published posthumously. I find the criticism of the Government empowering; and so right.

My favourite poem is Stevie Smith's Not Waving, but Drowning. I love so many others and find more each and every day, but her poem is the one that has almost become a mantra.

My all time favourite book is Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon. It is the Arthurian Legend from a Feminist or Female perspective (depending on who you are). I also thoroughly enjoyed the pagan mythological allusions and the change in the story when told from another perspective was enlightening. The Arthurian Legend is one I am quite interested in, and it was really nice to read a version where the women aren't all considered evil or stupid.

My epic novel would have serious feminist overtones, and would come with a powerful message; that women have the power to succeed if only they let themselves. I like the idea of sisters seeking out the truth behind family secrets, or a mother – daughter relationship. Most likely, it will have the protagonist trying to understand the motives behind other people's actions and lives, and will have its fair share of heartache. Even though I live in an outer suburb of Melbourne, Australia, I would most probably set it in Tasmania and model it around my mother's upbringing – that of a migrant family living in a small town where anybody and everybody just wants to get out of there, and most people find themselves stuck for generations. I would like to address the judgment that goes with the inability of people to move on from small towns, and liken that to the urban community. The epic tale will cover periods in history such as the 'White Australia Policy' and the toils and tribulations that migrants faced when coming to Australia in the 1950s.


 

Over and out folks, hope you enjoyed the answers. I look forward to 'interviewing' some of you soon J

9 comments:

  1. Thanks for visiting my blog. I love the title. What a great name for a blog. I adore poetry so I will sigh up to follow you :)

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  2. Thanks for joining Tabitha, I loved your blog. Must go and check if I joined, I was doing a million and one things tonight, so may have been sidetracked.

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  3. what a lovely little insight Chris ♥ loved reading this :)

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  4. I've always wanted to ask you these types of questions so it was so rad getting to read the answers :)I absolutely cannot wait for that novel of yours! Hurry up already ;) xoxx

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  5. P.S. I would love to be interviewed :) I like surveys and forms and all things that require answers to questions hehe

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  6. This was fascinating! And you and I have a great deal in common. LOL I also adore Shakespeare, but my favorite sonnet is 29. Dulce Et Decorum Est has been one of my favs since college. A great deal of irony is wrapped up in that fact, since my entire novel is built around self-sacrifice in war and that it can be right and just to die for one's country. Ah well.
    Speaking of Arthurian legend in the region of downunder, I have a friend whose Arthurian trilogy is under consideration by an agent. If it gets picked up, I'll let you know. :)

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  7. wow I'd love to read the Arthurian Trilogy, good luck to your friend. It's really nice to see that there is a bit of commonality, puts me in good company I feel :)

    Lucia - here are your questions:
    1. You are extremely well-read and knowledgeable for someone your age, why is that?
    2. You love to op shop. If you became richer than you ever needed to, would you still frequent op-shops as much as you do and why would that be so?
    3. Which person has had the greatest impact on your personal style, and how was the impact effected?
    4. If you didn't teach, what would be your chosen profession and why?
    5. Who is your all time favourite designer and what do you find inspiring about his/ her work?

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  8. I'm reading The Mists of Avalon right now and greatly enjoying it!

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