I spoke with featured poet, Patricia Goodrich, about her poetry writing process and her latest writing endeavors. Here’s what she had to say.

​LF: Do you remember writing your first poem?
PG: Yes!  In 7th grade elementary school, I responded to an
advertisement in the back of a magazine for a free evaluation of
songwriting ability/potential.  I sent them, "The night was dark/as we
sat in the park./The moon above/shone down its sweet love...."  I
received a response, but it was NOT encouraging!

LF: Who or what are some of your favorite creative influences?
PG: In general, nature (water and stone) and solitude. In poetry
particularly, e.e.cummings poetry as a freshman in college, poet William
Stafford, mentors Jere Knight and Helen Papashvily.

LF: Could you describe your creative process for writing poetry as opposed
to fiction, nonfiction, or memoir?
PG: In poetry I write without destination.

LF: At what point do you decide to stop revising your work?
PG: There is no point...no period. Perhaps when I feel an exclamation
mark!

LF: What are you working on now?
PG: I just completed working with Romanian poet/translator Casandra Ioan
on my forthcoming book, "Stone Hunting in Translyvania". I am shifting
gears to preparing for a solo visual arts exhibition at a castle in
Romania next summer, trying to shape/create at the same time writing
proposals for support of the project (shipping/framing/traveling).

LF: Why is poetry important in the world?
PG: It is a voice that speaks from that which is most elemental/most humane,
be it grief, rage, love, sound for the sake of sound, or silence which
fills the void.

LF: What do you hope readers take away from your poetry?
PG: That some phrase or detail resonates with some one of them. I stopped by
the Days of Poetry and Wine Festival in Slovenia a few days ago to see
Chilean poet Raul Zurita, whose work moves me. While there, I spoke with
someone I met while reading a couple of years earlier at the same
festival. She said, "I recognize you....you read the bear poem."  How
good that made me feel. So good I am mixing up the Newtown reading with
older poems.