Jessie Carty Interviewed!

I know, right?  Two days since the last Guest Post?  What in the Wide, Wide World of Sports Is a Goin’ On Around Here?

Today, Jessie Carty, poet and reviewer of poetry  (and she also conducts a great interview herself!) is here to share her answers to my series of questions.  I’m grateful, not just for her participation (which I am), but for the yeoman’s effort she puts into promoting and sharing the work of others.  Her reviews on her blog, and presence in the Online Writing Community are a huge help.

So, without further…aw, you knew I was gonna say that right?  And yeah, I totally get the answer to #5.

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1. Without naming it, describe for me your favorite place to think (not write).

–It involves moving my feet whether indoors or outdoors
2. Do you believe in Writer’s Block? Why or why not.

– I don’t believe in writer’s block. I think we all have times when the ideas, sentences, images seem sparse, but we have to work through those moments by either continuing to write even if it isn’t “good” or by taking the time to rest; to allow ourselves to fill back up with the world around us.
3. Do you carry a notebook?

— Yes! And if for some crazy reason I don’t have it then I at least have my phone where I can record a note to myself or send myself a text message.
4. What inspires you?

–Really everything around me. Recently I found myself enthralled by Joseph Campbell documentaries on myth that are available on Netflix. But, I also found myself drafting a poem during a workshop when a purple and green paint brush was handed to me.
5. What are you afraid of?

–Not writing.
6. How can humor improve poem? Do you write or enjoy poetry with a smile? 

–I love a poem that can bring a good chuckle. Like the need for tragedy, they can’t all make you laugh, but I welcome those that do.
7. What is more rewarding for you, the finished product or the writing process?

– That’s a really tough one. I LOVE the process of writing and I teach writing composition so I try to instill that in my students, but there is something to be said about having a poem that feels “done” especially when I am standing up at an open mike or other reading.
8. How can your art change the world where you live?

–It’s hard for me to say that what I do with my small voice can really make a difference, but even my former high school writing self thought there was something to be said for everyone putting their voices out there. I think by sharing what we have gone through, or the way we see the world, we have a chance to create compassion and empathy. We definitely need more of that.

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Jessie Carty’s writing has appeared in publications such as, MARGIE, decomP and Connotation Press. She is the author of five poetry collections which include Fat Girl (Sibling Rivalry, 2011) as well as the award winning full length poetry collection,Paper House (Folded Word 2010). Jessie teaches at RCCC in Concord, NC. She is also the managing editor of Referential Magazine. She can be found around the web, especially at http://jessiecarty.com .