Powerful poetry with Traci Brimhall

Reading poetry is one of my favorite ways to escape into a book. I love savoring beautifully crafted lines and vivid images. One of the best poetry collections I've read in recent years is Come the Slumberless to the Land of Nod by Traci Brimhall. She writes beautiful, accessible poetry that's received national readership and acclaim.

Brimhall was recently praised by Florence of Florence and the Machine as an inspiration for their work, and she has been published in The New Yorker, Poetry, The New Republic, Best American Poetry, and the Pushcart Prize Anthology. She is the director of Kansas State University's creative writing program. Of course Brimhall loves reading poetry too. She said the best part is connecting with other people and perspectives.“I love feeling as though I understand someone else and maybe, even though they're a stranger or dead, they understand me too,” Brimhall said. “Chris Abani says ‘a really good poem is making space for somebody to bring their own baggage, their own suffering, and find space for release that's not only cathartic but also transformational.’ When I read really good poems, that's exactly how I feel – like I'm allowed to share in language and understanding, and that kind of deep witnessing between people that can feel like a relief and a transformation.” 

Full Interview with Traci Brimhall

What do you love about reading poetry?  

I love feeling as though I understand someone else and maybe, even though they're a stranger or dead, they understand me too. Chris Abani says "a really good poem is making space for somebody to bring their own baggage, their own suffering, and find space for release that's not only cathartic but also transformational." When I read really good poems, that's exactly how I feel--like I'm allowed to share in language and understanding, and that kind of deep witnessing between people that can feel like a relief and a transformation.  

Is writing poetry different from writing prose, for you? 

I've heard that all creative writing is the mind in motion, and I like that approach. I think that's also why the language and syntax can be so different in a poem or an essay. When I'm writing an essay, it's like I'm on a long stroll or a hike with an idea. It moves a bit slower, there are some emotional peaks, but largely we are being quiet with each other while we do the work to arrive somewhere or circle back where we started. When I'm writing a poem, it's like I'm kissing an idea. It's brief and intense and, if it's any good, makes my head a little woozy.  

Can you remember a time when taking a writing workshop or working with a prompt or exercise helped you improve as a writer? Is there value in workshops and classes even for experienced writers? 

Probably every single one! I can't think of one I've ever left without encountering a new poem, new quote about poetry, or new approach to writing and revision. I also genuinely enjoy being a student. Teaching is a great joy for me, but it's such a pleasure to learn. I try to pick up a new hobby every year so I stay comfortable with failure and also get to see the growth I'm still capable of. I hope I never feel like I know everything or like I couldn't benefit from listening to and learning from others. 

What are some of your all time favorite poetry collections?  

A few of my first loves that I return to all the time are Louise Glück's Wild Iris, Galway Kinnell's The Book of Nightmares, Alberto Ríos's The Smallest Muscle in the Human Body, Anne Carson's Autobiography of Red, Jack Gilbert's The Great Fires, Ai's Vice, Brigit Pegeen Kelly's Song, Carolyn Forché's The Country Between Us, Tracy K. Smith's Duende, Claudia Rankine's Don't Let Me Be Lonely, Rainer Maria Rilke's Duino Elegies, Adrienne Rich's Diving the Wreck. I know that's so many! And those are just the early loves. I keep falling in love with poets all the time.  Books like Ocean Vuong's Night Sky with Exit Wounds, Natalie Diaz's Postcolonial Love Poem, Diana Khoi Nguyen's Ghost Of, Matthew Olzmann's Constellation Route, Ada Limón's Bright Dead Things, Roger Reeves's Best Barbarian, Diane Seuss's Frank: Sonnets, and Leila Chatti's Deluge. 

What poetry have you read this year that has stuck with you, inspired you, or excited you?  

I'm in the middle of Black Swim by Nicholas Goodly right now and think it is totally magical and superb. Another one I've read twice and can't wait to read again is The Many Deaths of Inocencio Rodriguez by Iliana Rocha. I was also completely delighted by Chen Chen's Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced an Emergency.