A Q&A with the poet/writer/editor from Greensboro.
What she writes
I write poetry, novels, stories, essays and plays. But my focus lately has been essays and poetry. My poems cover a variety of subjects, from love, death and family to superheroes, aliens and sea turtles.
When she discovered her talent for writing
I've been writing stories, novels and plays since I was 5 years old. Poetry came a little later. But writing was always something I did, without thinking about why or what I might do with the work once it was written. It was in high school that a teacher returned one of my essays with a note on the top, in green ink: "You have a gift." She talked to me about doing something with my writing, sending it out into the world. She entered me in the N.C. Writing Contest that year, and I won. Until then, I hadn't thought about "being a writer" and what that might look like. I knew I would write, no matter what, but I hadn't considered trying to forge a career out of it. From that point on, I began to plan my future around my writing, and I've been blessed with good teachers and a supportive family that have given me the courage and confidence to do so.
Her latest book of poetry
"The Real Warnings" (Anhinga Press), my first published book, is a collection of poems about -- well, I guess I would say the book is about how life and love are worth the pain. I wrote most of these poems in the last 10 years. Some of them deal with my struggle with bipolar disorder and finding a path toward healing. Some deal with the search for and discovery of love: self-love as well as the love of another. While some of the poems are drawn from my life experiences, the book is not autobiography. Most poems are a mix of fact and fiction, and some are in the voices of characters I've made up. But, despite of -- and really because of -- these inventions, I would say the book is true to my life and what it has felt like to be me. I try to take the readers along on the journey I've been on: from fear to hope.
Her most personal poem
The title poem, "The Real Warnings Are Always Too Late," is the most personal poem about my adolescence and what mental illness can feel like to a family. Likewise, the poems in the "Rescuing Princess Zelda" series, although they are told from the voice of a (mostly) fictional character, go to some deeply personal places.
Favorite literary character
That would have to be Reepicheep, from C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia" series. I first read those books in college, where my friends gave me the nickname "Reep." I love that mouse: his fierce loyalty to those he loves, his courage and willingness to sacrifice all for what he believes in, the sense of adventure he brings to every day of his life. I want to live like that.
Biggest accomplishment
This book is one of my biggest accomplishments, certainly, as is "Cave Wall" (www.cavewallpress.com), the literary journal my husband and I started several years ago.
When she's not writing
If I'm not writing (or reading, which I consider an important part of my writing process) or working on "Cave Wall," I'm probably playing with our cats, reading comic books, going to a movie &ellipses; or stressing out. If I go too many days without writing, I am not a fun person to be around.
Where she writes
I write most of my first drafts in a notebook, while sitting in the blue chair in my office, preferably with a cat on my lap. Later drafts, I type at my desk.
Her biggest struggle
Balance. It's my quest and my struggle. Finding time for the many things I love -- writing, editing a literary journal, family and friends -- is a juggling act. And my personality makes it hard to switch from one task to the next, especially when I'm working on something about which I'm passionate. I am learning, more and more, to let go and to enjoy whatever few minutes I have for a project, rather than wasting that time being frustrated at how little it is. Frustration can kill a lot of minutes.
Things that make her happy
There are so many: my husband, my cats, reading, writing, comic books, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," popcorn at the movies, my tai chi sword, my garden, bird-watching, deluxe seafood platters, all the wonderful people in my life.
What she's working on now...
I'm working on more poems, a novel, and I hope to write a few more stories and essays soon. I like to have several projects going on at once. Also, I'm putting together issue 7 of "Cave Wall" and reading submissions for issue 8.
-- Carla Kucinski Seward
