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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 |
The Woman Behind The Verse
An interview with Christina L. Johnson
by Heather Goldsmith
Christina L. Johnson is an American poet published worldwide in various literary journals and magazines, including websites and electronic newsletters. A native of Ohio and a graduate of The Ohio State University, Christina has dedicated herself to retaining a fresh and accessible style in her work. She also critiques poetry, is a personal writing coach, and acts as a literary agent on behalf of clients throughout the world. In this interview Christina shares in candid terms her views, inspirations and plans for the future.Heather Goldsmith: What is the idea behind the title of your collection of poetry, Before the 21st?
Christina: I came up with the idea of the title because the selected poems were written before the new century.
Heather: What makes your poetry different to what readers are used to?
Christina: When I first developed an interest in writing, I started with fiction. I later began writing poetry, but that attitude I had developed in regards to writing fiction remained-- and that was to write about things in such a way that it would make it easy for anyone to read, understand, and enjoy.
However several years later, after hearing the editor for the Kenyon Review lecture at a writing conference about how "good" poetry should be written-- I was troubled by how much his opinions on proper poetic style differed from that of my own. Although I was getting published regularly at this point, I still wondered about the quality of my work.
I then came across an old article by Dan Gioia entitled "Can Poetry Matter?". In his article for The Atlantic, Mr. Gioia talked about poetry's decline in readership which he attributed to the excessive influence of academia. He more or less indicated that much of the poetry being published today was not written with the mainstream reader in mind-- but was written for (and by) college English professors and other academics.
Reading that article bolstered my confidence, because it affirmed that I had taken the right approach all along in regards to my writing style-- I had always been thinking of the reader!
Heather: How long have you been writing?
Christina: I have been writing since I was eleven years old, but I only started getting serious about writing when I was in high school. At that time though, I wasn't quite prepared to deal with rejection slips. They were very painful for me and because I had such a hard time dealing with them, I quit and didn't write anything for a very long while.
In 1990, I started writing again. I'm not sure why this happened except that it seemed like the idea of writing and becoming a writer had never left me. It was always there in the back of my mind.
It has been said that once the writing bug bites you, it never lets you go. I think this statement is very true-- at least in my case it was anyway.
Heather: What advice can you offer young and beginning writers?
Christina: Writing and talent are only very small parts of the equation that make up writing success-- the rest is solid marketing research, patience, and persistence. Of course, luck plays a part too, but it's no match for persistence and preparation. So if there is any advice I can give young and beginning writers, it would be to never stop believing in yourself or your work. Work smart and work hard and you will accomplish your goals.
Heather: What benefits have you gained from your writing?
Christina: I often tell my students that writing is not just a journey towards publication, but that it is also a journey to understanding oneself. Depending on what things you like to write, you can learn a great deal about yourself in the process.
In my own life as a writer, writing has given me a great deal of confidence. I think it also has allowed me to develop a much more creative approach to life in general. For example, while there was a time that I used to be interested in such things as material possessions and fancy job titles, I am now more interested in being heard by other people around the world and making a difference in some way through my words. If my words can inspire and entertain others, if my words can somehow survive the test of time, then I think I will have accomplished a great deal.
Heather: What inspires you and your poetry?
Christina: I find inspiration in life itself. Perhaps I'm an eternal optimist, but I have found there is a great beauty in ourselves, in others, and the natural and man-made world around us.
And that is what I try to do as a poet-- I try to focus and write about what is beautiful-- even if I write at times about things that may be sad-- such as death or the loss of a love.
Heather: What helps you write fresh images?
Christina: I find that travel is helpful. Also reading the work of others is useful too.
Heather: Have you used some of your own life, bent the truth a little, to produce a poem?
Christina: I use my own life in my writing quite a bit. As for bending the truth, I think that this is something that all writers and even all people do. That's not to say that I think we lie on purpose, but even when we tell the truth, it's never really accurate because we all tend to focus on small things about ourselves, rather than the complete image.
Heather: Who inspires you to write?
Christina: While my mother taught me as child to see the beauty in nature and in life itself, I can't say that there has been any particular person who has inspired me more than anyone else.
The truth is that I have been inspired by many people. It seems like anyone and everyone I have ever met who is creative in some way-- whether they are an artist, a writer, a musician or whatever has been an encouragement to me in one way or another.
Heather: How has your writing made you feel vulnerable on the page?
Christina: At times yes, especially when I do a public reading, but it is something I have learned to live with.
Even if I were to go on record and say "No, this piece doesn't mean that", once something is published or even heard, the public will choose to judge the work and even the writer, the way it wants. And unfortunately there's very little that one can do to really change that situation.
Heather: Have you experienced those moments when the hairs on your nape rise and a shiver races down your spine and across your arms? Have you experienced those moments while writing?
Christina: I have never actually experienced that, but I have gotten very emotional. If you have ever seen the movie, "Romancing The Stone", where Kathleen Turner's character Joan Wilder is crying over the typewriter as she finishes writing her novel, that sort of thing has happened quite often to me.
While some people may find that to be a bit weird, I have found that my emotional response is usually a very good indicator that the poem or story is powerfully written.
Heather: Do you believe in writer's block?
Christina: No, but there are definitely such things as laziness and procrastination.
Mark Twain once said that whenever he felt like doing something, he would go lay on the couch and think about it. He said that after a little while the thoughts would suddenly go away.
I have tried his advice and have found that it works like a charm. That's why when it comes to writing, I try to avoid seating myself in anything that allows me to comfortably recline. Otherwise if I do, very little writing gets accomplished at all.
Heather: What is your greatest fear as a writer?
Christina: I sometimes feel like I am not doing enough. Despite the fact that over the past two years I have been doing more and more things with my writing, including taking on the additional responsibilities of teaching and even editing, I still feel like I haven't accomplished enough.
Heather: Do you prefer writing with a pen and paper or directly on the computer?
Christina: I write with pencil and paper when it comes to poetry. When it comes to fiction and nonfiction, I usually write directly on the computer. However all editing is always done by hand with a pen. I can catch mistakes better this way than by trying to find them on the screen.
Heather: Where do you see yourself, as a writer, five years from now?
Christina: Well, I would like to have a couple more poetry collections out. Another goal is to expand my teaching into writing conferences and also into schools as a writer in residence.
And I would like at some point to possibly write a book on poetry writing. There is some discussion now about that topic with a publisher and there is some definite interest on their part, but I am not sure what will happen with it.
Finally on top of all that, I also would like to see a couple of children's books get published.
Heather: Any other useful words of wisdom you can share would be wonderful.
Christina: Learn as much as you can about the writing business. Avoid vanity publishers. Also avoid self publishing your work if you can, as it is regarded by many editors as being not much better than vanity publishing. Join poetry organizations in your area, attend readings and network with other writers-- especially those whose work you respect and who are further along in publishing success than you are.
Finally... above all else, learn and experience all you can of the world around you. Develop a curiosity and enthusiasm for life like that of a child's-- for our time here is a very precious, but fleeting thing.
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Heather Goldsmith lives in Perth, Australia with her husband and two children. A writer of nonfiction and short stories, her works have appeared in various Internet and Australian magazines, including For Me, New Writer Magazine, and That's Life. She is currently working on her first novel.