What follows is a self-interview entitled “The Next Big Thing” that is making its way through the blogosphere. Every Wednesday, writers who have a recent or forthcoming book answer the following questions, post them on a blog somewhere, and tag five more writers to do the same the following Wednesday.
What is the working title of the book?
Any Other Branch
Where did the idea come from for the book?
It all centered around the title poem, “Branches.” It was the very first poem from the book to get published in a journal. I considered the content of the poem, and discovered it was the frame for many of the other poems I was considering for the manuscript.
What genre does your book fall under?
Poetry.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
There is one central character in the book, she doesn’t have a name, but I refer to her as “Girl.” I think I would choose Audrey Justine Tautou to play her.
What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
Any Other Branch is a lyrical narrative of the life of one girl who moves beyond a trauma and grows stronger for it.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
Five years.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
One of the sections of the book came from an undergraduate course at Plymouth State University, Advanced Poetry Workshop, taught by Liz Ahl. That poems that were born in that class helped me develop the narrative of the full length collection.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
There is a splash of humor in a collection that centers around a dark subject matter. The series of poems imitating personal ads gets a laugh every time!
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Salmon Poetry is publishing it with a release at the AWP conference on March 8th! You will be able to purchase it online at Salmon Poetry, http://www.salmonpoetry.com/
My tagged writers for next Wednesday are:
Vicki Malits Addesso,
Robin Stratton,
LIZ AHL,
Jessie Lendennie,
Annie Finch