On March 2nd, Kasie welcomed South Carolina Poet Tim Conroy into the studio. Here are the show notes:

Introductions

Dr. Kasie Whitener, Clemson Road Creative, fiction writer

Tim Conroy, Poet

Theme for the day

The Emergence Part of Writing

Agenda

• Getting to know Tim Conroy (website)
• Being a poet in South Carolina
• Upcoming opportunities and events for poets

Link to the podcast

Segment 1

You began writing late in life. Why? What took so long? How did you come to the craft?

Your brother found success in fiction but you’ve talked occasionally about his love of poetry. How did his experience with poetry influence yours?

You said Pat never “emerged” as a poet. What does it mean to “emerge”? Is that the same as finding your literary voice? Is emergence a matter of quality? Or is it your personal feelings about your work and the role it plays for you?

Poetry is the opera of literature: people either love it or hate it; very few are indifferent. Why did you choose poetry as your creative outlet? What else did you try? Painting? Dance? Music?

Segment 2

Your blog post about the poem Home Firesmentions workshopping with other poets (Al Black, Michael Murray, Kristine Hartvigsen, Jane Zenger, and Kelley Lannigan). How often do you workshop? What does trying those poems out on other poets do for your craft work?

A couple of great phrases from Home Firesand forgive me for not being much of a poet, but I love: therapeutically tipsy, plodding backwards out of blind canyons, “swore to hell as lovers not to bank fire” — meaning don’t let the passion die, right?

How much of your poetry is your real life? Your real emotion? Your autobiography?

Your blog also has a great piece of flash fiction Coiled Silencewith the great line: “Maybe we are at the point where the arch doesn’t curve back to fair anymore.” There’s a social justice bend to that piece. Are you inspired by social issues? Which ones? Would you consider your writing activism?

What do you like about being a poet in South Carolina? What are the challenges?

Segment 3

On this show we’ve talked about defining success, getting into writing habits, developing writing professionalism and the journey from deciding to write through becoming a published author.

We’ve also heard from Cassie Premo Steele that forcing oneself to write is counter productive. What’s your take on the “habit” of creativity?

Currently reading: The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp the premise of which is that anyone can develop rituals that encourage and support creativity and that people who want to be consistently creative should install rituals as a kind of scaffolding to support their creative lives.

Do you have any rituals or habits that have helped you be consistent in your creative life? Do you recommend adopting such an approach?

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