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An Interview with Susan Letham of Inspired2Write.com (Published May 2002) |
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An interview by Heather Goldsmith of Ewritelife.com |
Portrait Of A Poet...
An interview with Christina L. Johnson
by Susan LethamAmerican poet and teacher Christina L. Johnson has been published in numerous literary magazines worldwide. She is also the poetry markets columnist for the New Zealand Writer.
Q: Tell us a little about your life, Christina. Where do you live?
Christina Johnson (CJ): I live in Ohio in the United States of America.
I'm a native to this state and stay here because it's a convenient base from which to work. I also like to be near my family.
Q: Where do you do your writing?
CJ: My writing space is in the corner of my living room, close to a large picture window that overlooks a quiet residential neighborhood. I have a slew of papers and books lying around. Next to my computer there's a cork bulletin board filled with various pictures, unusual postage stamps, James Bond movie mementoes, a Caribbean Island calendar, and some of my latest acceptance letters.
Q: How would you describe yourself?
CJ: Humorous, stubborn, persistent, intelligent, inquisitive, both left and right brained, opinionated, hot tempered, but loyal and kind hearted.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
CJ: I'm currently researching ideas for a children's nonfiction book.
Q: When did you begin to see yourself as a writer?
CJ: I began to see myself as a writer and poet when I started to get consistently published in magazines.
My first success as a poet was with a Pennsylvania-based magazine called The Poetry Forum. I was elated when the acceptance letter arrived. It was like getting that first-ever taste of ice cream. Once you get that initial taste of success, you're hooked from there on out and always looking for more.
Q: What do you write now?
CJ: I began by writing poetry. From there I went on to add articles about poetry writing to my repertoire.
Q: Who influenced you and the things you write?
CJ: My mother was an important influence. She taught me the value of observing the world around me and seeing the beauty in it. I was also strongly influenced by my rural upbringing. It not only taught me to appreciate solitude, but it also influenced my work-- since most of my poetry follows a natural theme.
Q: What made you become a poet?
CJ: I think the reason I became a poet was because there was a part of me that wanted to communicate with the world in a large and lasting way.
Q: What would you like to accomplish with your writing in the next 5 or 10 years?
CJ: I'd like to get several poetry collections published, participate in a "writer in the schools" program, teach at writing conferences, write a book on poetry writing and marketing, and publish some of the children's stories I've written.
Q: Do you think the Internet has changed writing and publishing?
CJ: I think the Internet has been a double-edged sword for writers. It makes networking and marketing oneself globally much easier, but it also makes it harder to attract attention. I think it's because we're suffering from information overload.
The Internet provides more opportunities for writers, but because there are so many poetry magazines online it has become more difficult to rise above the clamor and be heard.
Q: Christina, how does an American poet become a columnist for the New Zealand Writer?
CJ: One thing led to another. I was researching New Zealand poetry markets on the Internet and stumbled upon a small Auckland-based poetry site. I contacted the editor and asked if she knew of any other poetry markets in her country. I also asked if she knew of any market guides for New Zealand and Australia that were similar to Poet's Market.
She didn't have the information I was looking for, but wished that she did, because she had quite a few poets in her writing group who wanted to get their poetry published. Not one to be easily discouraged, I continued my research and found several markets and a market guide book for the region.
I contacted the editor of the poetry site again and told her of my findings. I figured the information would be of use to the members in her writing group. The editor was so impressed with my research that she asked me to write an article on my findings, which I did.
My article for the Auckland-based site was the start of a whole new writing adventure for me. I not only learned how to write other things besides poetry, but it later led to my writing a poetry markets column for Loren Teague and her popular web site, The New Zealand Writer.
Q: What drew you toward teaching poets to write?
CJ: I took up teaching after more and more people started approaching me to ask my advice on how to get their poems published.
Q: What does teaching give you?
CJ: Teaching brings me both joy and knowledge. It also allows me to develop some wonderful friendships.
Q: Can you say a few words about the course you teach?
I teach a course on poetry marketing. The course also covers some of the poetry basics, but the main focus is on how to successfully get your poems published in magazines and books. The course also provides a good deal of information on self-promotion for writers/poets.
Q: Is your class US-oriented, or does it address the needs of poets from other countries, too?
CJ: The course shows poets the most effective ways to market their work around the world.
I've marketed my writing globally for many years, so I know a lot about markets and appropriate marketing strategies in many countries. I network with writers and publishers around the world to expand this knowledge on an ongoing basis.
Q: What do you aim to give your students?
CJ: I want to arm them with the knowledge that they will need to effectively market their poems to magazines and book publishers. Above all, I want to give them confidence and hope in the idea that dreams can come true.
Q: Which qualities should a beginner develop?
CJ: Beginning writers and poets need to develop confidence in themselves and their abilities.
Q: Are there advantages in starting to write early or late in life?
Mature poets and writers have accumulated more life experiences. On the other hand, young poets and writers are more likely to "think outside the box" and may be less set in their ways and viewpoints than older writers.
Q: What advice would you give a beginner?
CJ: Never give up! A published writer is a writer who never gave up!
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Susan J. Letham is a British writer who lives in Berlin, Germany. A creative writing lecturer, her recent publications include "Prayers from our Country" and her novel, The Silence of Angels.