A Conversation with Amy Barone
What are sources of joy and excitement in your life right now?
My new poetry collection, Defying Extinction, from Broadstone Books, released in June 2022, is keeping me joyfully busy. I’m giving virtual poetry readings and live readings in New York City and the Philadelphia area, and working on garnering book reviews. Adding to the excitement was recognition for my book from Small Press Distribution as a Recommended Book of the Week, as well as a Poetry Bestseller for the month of July.
Back in June, I took my first vacation in six years, a bucket list trip out West to Wyoming and South Dakota, which inspired some new poems. I was bowled over by Wyoming's remoteness, nature so different from what we have on the East Coast. New poems are a bonus of travel, so I plan to head to Montana and Yellowstone Park in June.
And it’s always a boost to have poems accepted in new literary outlets, so I’ve made that a serious mission.
What are your daily writing habits these days? Have they changed since we last spoke for the ‘Pathways’ series a number of years ago?
On near daily walks, I write poems in my head, although they don’t always make it to paper or a screen. Most days, I find myself jotting down ideas, themes, or titles for future poems. Every few weeks, I then tackle the work of trying to turn the material into strong pieces. The best poems write themselves, seem to take shape seamlessly.
During the second year of the COVID pandemic, I found myself bereft of inspiration — from a dearth of live social interaction and the preponderance of negative news. My writing suffered.
Revisiting another literary exercise we last discussed, back in 2014, I started writing every day from the start of Ash Wednesday through the end of April/Poetry Month. I refer to it as my "Lenten sacrifice”. From the dozens of poems I draft during that time and then develop during the year, a few sparkle, which makes the process a positive one. The practice also gives me a supply of poems that I can submit to brevitas, an online group I belong to. I hope I can resurrect enthusiasm for the practice in 2023.
On days when you are not actively writing poems, what do you do with your creative energy? Does poetry still enter your daily routine?
As I mentioned a few years back, I begin most mornings reading poetry, mostly from contemporaries I know or meet at readings.
Music, meditation, and walks along the Hudson near my New York City apartment are daily activities that stimulate creativity. Anything substantial that's going on in my life is weaved into my work. I spend long stretches alone with my writing, but also enjoy the company of friends - long chats, good food.
Several times a week, I attend poetry readings and related events in the city. A number of reading series have re-launched their live events, like great weather for MEDIA with its weekly Sunday afternoon readings. KGB Bar now has a number of regular readings on tap. I participate in open mics, which is an optimal way to share a new poem and gauge the audience's reaction.
A former journalist and business writer, I take photos at events and post them to Facebook and Twitter, which poet friends love.
It seems like you’ve been especially busy in the literary scene lately. Quite a few readings am I right? And I know of at least one on the horizon. Can you talk a little about the value you get out of readings? What are your thoughts on virtual vs. IRL readings?
Since the launch of Defying Extinction, I've given 10 readings and have several future readings scheduled. I find readings very beneficial for networking and community building. Before the pandemic, I spent massive amounts of time in New York and Philadelphia attending readings and supporting poets and writers. The relationships developed helped me get further acquainted with the poetry world and led to invitations to submit work to a range of literary journals and anthologies. Above all, many lasting friendships developed.
When the pandemic hit and poets gravitated to Zoom readings, I resisted in a big way at first. I'm a people person and more analog at heart. However, virtual readings offer many perks — they draw a diverse group from across the country and around the world, as Larry Robin of Moonstone Arts Center in Philadelphia points out. I came to better understand its appeal and now tune in to a mix of readings on Zoom. One in particular, the Redheaded Stepchild Book Launch reading hosted by Malaika King Albrecht, is a phenomenal hour-long weekly Zoom where I've become a regular.
In what ways are you engaged with the literary/arts community nowadays? Why do you feel it is important to be an engaged literary citizen? How does this look for you? Do you have suggestions for how others can get more involved?
As I mentioned, I belong to brevitas, an online poetry community where invited poets share a short poem (14 lines maximum) twice a month. Giving feedback is optional. I benefit tremendously from responses sent my way and the exercise drives me to produce poems year-round. Since joining in March, 2013, I’ve never missed a submission and subsequently published a chapbook and two full-length collections. If a writer is experiencing long dry spells, a workshop gives many the impetus to keep writing and editing.
As to social media, I’m active on Facebook and Twitter for poetry-related reasons. Years ago, I attended a conference where a panel recommended choosing two outlets and staying the course. Facebook has a very strong poetry community where writers can find out about events, calls for submissions, and relevant literary news. On Twitter I’ve recently come across many calls for submissions.
On Facebook, I document events I attend with photos and list announcements and future readings. If you’re made co-host of an event, it’s extremely fast and easy to invite friends. Several poetry groups have a strong Facebook presence (Voices of Poetry; Readers & Readings; KEEN: NYC Poetry Events.)
Three years ago I joined the Poetry Society of America (Poetry Society of America), which offers an impressive mix of literary and civic programs. These include annual awards judged by prominent poets, the Poetry in Motion initiative that features poems on buses and subways in New York and four other cities, and this fall’s The Bond of Live Things Everywhere at The New York Botanical Garden that staged Black poetry and performance curated by poet Joshua Bennett. They recently set up new digs in a Brooklyn storefront to create an inviting space for the public and host events in an enchanting garden. Joining a literary organization is an optimal way for poets to discover new resources or broaden their writing network.
Amy Barone has a new poetry collection, Defying Extinction, from Broadstone Books, which was published in 2022. Her poetry book, We Became Summer, from New York Quarterly Books, was released in 2018. Kamikaze Dance, her second poetry chapbook, was published by Finishing Line Press; she was a finalist in the publisher’s New Women’s Voices Chapbook Competition of 2014. Barone's first chapbook, Views from the Driveway, was published by Foothills Publishing in 2008. Her poetry has appeared in Café Review, Local Knowledge, Muddy River Poetry Review, New Verse News, Paterson Literary Review, Sensitive Skin and Standpoint (UK), among other publications. She spent five years as Italian correspondent for Women's Wear Daily and Advertising Age. She belongs to the Poetry Society of America and the brevitas online poetry community that celebrates the short poem. As a former board member of the Italian American Writers Association, for three years she co-organized and promoted their monthly readings in New York City. A native of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Barone lives in New York City.