A thought-provoking chat with R.A. Villanueva, author of Reliquaria, after we’d seen some fantastic readings at National Poetry Day Live.
We cover plenty of ground, starting off with the influence of slam, intentional vs accidental ways of becoming a writer and the idea of priming yourself to take advantage of opportunities.
Then we get into a great discussion of race and poetry, contrasting the volume of conversations in the UK and the US and the reactions of the ‘old guard’.
Along with Ron’s reading of Aftermaths and Fish Heads, I have a few more links to keep you busy this week:
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Forward prize, backward reading: who grumbles if white writers win awards? by Salena Godden
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The Guardian’s count of people killed in the US by police
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A Brief for the Defense by Jack Gilbert and Ron’s reading for poets.org
- Kundiman: a space ‘dedicated to the creation and cultivation of Asian American literature’
If you’re not sure what we’re on about towards the end (when the conversation turns to video games and their relationship to poetry), check out Mario Level 1 compared to the very different worlds of Call of Duty and Journey.
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