Andrea Beltran Interviewed!

And we’re back with another Interview.  This go ’round it’s Andrea Beltran, a poet and writer from Way Down Texas Way.  One of the things I’ve noticed about Andrea in the world of Twitter, is how supportive of others she is.  For every tweet about her own work or life, there’s a half dozen or more pointing to things by others that have touched her or impressed her.  She is no different than many I’ve come across in my time on The Twittah, but I felt like it needed to be pointed out.  I appreciate her doing it, and everyone else that invests their time and effort into supporting the entirety of the online writing community.

So, without further ado or blather from me, here’s Andrea’s answers to a few questions.  My thanks for her time and patience as I share these with you. (And I’m a little bit in love with the answers to No. 4.)

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1. Without naming it, describe for me your favorite dinner.

Pizza. Yes, pizza. With lots of pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. And a cupcake and coffee to close it out.
2.Do you believe in Writer’s Block? Why or why not.

I used to. I don’t like to give it a name anymore so as not to give it any more weight. I’m learning to accept the non-writing moments and just read and listen more. The writing always comes back to you, even if it takes years. (Note: A wonderful book to read during these moments is Richard Hugo’s “The Triggering Town.”)
3.Do you carry a notebook?

Yes, in my purse and laptop bag. And beside my bed. If I don’t write it down when it comes to me, I lose it.
4. Who inspires you?

Jack Myers and his wife, Thea Temple. I wish I would’ve paid more attention, written more down, during my time with him. Every day people inspire me. I’m an observer. Yesterday, it was the boy in the cereal aisle telling his mom she needed to learn to “slow life down a little faster.” It is people like you I interact and share poetry, writing, and books with on Twitter. My grandparents who just seem to keep blooming, even in their mid-eighties. My husband who patiently waits out my writing and reading time and wants to tell complete strangers about my poems.
5.What are you afraid of?

I’m afraid of losing the ones I love. I need to be more accepting of the cycle of life, but I’m working on it. I’m also afraid of not taking the leap to pursue a more purposeful life, but I’m working on that too.
6.What makes you write? Or, what is the compulsion to write?

Great stories or poems. Any given scene in my daily life can inspire me. Most recently, C.D. Wright’s “One With Others.” I’m working on one about the boy at the grocery store too.

7.What is more rewarding for you, the finished product or the writing process?

I think it’s all a part of the same process. I do love the energy I feel while sitting with pen and paper and writing away or when I’m in the shower rapidly repeating lines to myself so I won’t forget them before I can get to my journal.
8.How can your art/writing change the world where you live?

I hope to tell the stories of people within El Paso, to bring a history of our culture to the page. I’d also like to simply get more books into people’s hands here, especially the future generations.

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Andrea Beltran lives in El Paso, Texas and moonlights as a poet. Her poems have recently appeared in caesura, Rose & Thorn Journal, and Referential Magazine. She has fun as Flashquake’s Social Media Guru and blogs about poetry and writing at http://andreakristen.blogspot.com

Tags: guest post, interview, Poetry, process, writing