Interview

 

Interview

STZ: In this issue, we are including a couple of works from your book Haunting My Own House. Do you have any favorite poems in the book?

DNB: This book contains a couple of dozen poems out of 600 I’ve more or less finished, so I guess they are my favorites. To narrow it down more…perhaps "A Word Alone Is Not A Word" and I like "Shoe Size" and "Shalom."

STZ: Where do you get inspiration for your poetry?

DNB: When something bothers me (good or bad), I write to try to untangle the puzzle or just express more clearly what’s happening. It’s really my therapy. I guess you could say if the something is good, you can call it "inspiration." I do usually feel "inspirited" during or after writing which is usually a few hours of searching out the ideas and then the words to try to carry those ideas.

STZ: Who are some of your favorite poets or writers that have influenced your work?

DNB: I came to poetry late, so I’m uneducated, but certainly Mary Oliver’s poetry, as well as her Primer, have been formative.

STZ: I was first introduced to your work as a poet and writer. But your career has also included writing and producing music for film and television, and a couple of albums as a singer-songwriter. Was there a transition period where you added essays and poetry to your projects, or was that always part of your craft?

DNB: Though my career was spent mostly in instrumental music, I wrote and sang my own songs for fun beginning around 15 and being published at 19. I started writing poetry, as opposed to lyrics, when I lost the ability to play and sing because of lung cancer around 2014. That creative itch had to go somewhere. I’ve only recently been able to begin performing some again. So I’m experimenting with combining songs and poems in the same venue.

STZ: Can you tell us anything about writing projects you have in the works?

DNB: I’m hoping to find time to publish a series of short collections similar to Haunting My Own House and then combine several into a larger collection. But the process is intimidating. I’ve also been putting most of my energy into recording new backing tracks for my music performances with some Nashville players.

STZ: Is there anything else you would like to tell the readers?

DNB: Everybody is a writer. If you haven’t tried, you will surprise yourself. We all have stories, even tiny stories. I believe everyone can benefit greatly from writing, whether anyone else ever sees it. Publishing is not the main point. Sharing our lives is the main point.