ChicagoPostmodernPoetry.Com

Poetic Profile

Rachel Simon  

1) Where did you grow up? Was poetry and writing part of that mix?

Most of my growing up happened in Dallas, TX—but no true Texan would consider me part of the club.  I had some run-ins with poetry at a young age (your typical nerdling stuff), but it became vital to me during adolescence.  Dallas felt like a city made of parking lots and I felt like it exacerbated my stereotypical teenage-misunderstoodness.

2) Who are your poetic influences, favorite poets, writers, artwork, other things that inform your work?

The first poet who inspired me in person was Tim Seibles, but my work is not like his.  I really love the work of Dean Young, Ashberry, Mary Ruefle, James Galvin, and so many others.  Visual art that excites me usually has some connection with language like the work of Jenny Holzer or Mark Tansey's big round word sculpture.  I'm also inspired by my family.  My little brother is a playwright and my parents expect him to use our family in his work, but they are coming to understand that I'll be the one airing our dirty laundry.

3) When did you 'become' a poet, when did poet become part of your everyday life? 

I guess it became part of my everyday life in high school.  That's when I started carrying a notebook around and feeling infused with some aesthetic that didn't fit in with anyone around me.  I hope I'll feel like a 'poet' when my book comes out in the fall, although a friend warned me that its all downhill from the moment you hold the book in your hand.

4) Where were you educated? Was this important?

I went to college in Maine (because of its distance from Texas) and studied with Ira Sadoff and Peter Harris at Colby College.  They both introduced me to some very important poetry and writers.  I got an MFA at Sarah Lawrence College, which was great for meeting my partner, building a community of writers, and accruing huge debt. 

5) What is your favorite food?

chocolate, cheese, garlic, not necessarily in combination

6) Sports Team? or Activity?

I'm a fan of the Cleveland Browns (and was Bernie Kosar obsessed in my youth), the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Cleveland Indians. These preferences are genetic and would make sense if you'd ever met my father.  At this point I don't play any sports, but get most of my exercise from Polka concerts.

8) Vacation spot?

I like hikes in the woods that culminate in mountain ponds, but not ones that are so steep I worry for my longevity.

9) Curse word?

I don't really have a favorite curse word, but do enjoy when my mother, a retired kindergarten teacher, shrieks "FUCK YOU!" in traffic.

Craft Questions

1) How do you form a poem?

I throw everything down on the page in a free write and then go back and cut most of it out.  I almost always compose by hand and revise by computer. 

2) Is poetry an organic or synthetic process for you?

80% organic 10% synthetic and the rest fueled by cheese

3) Where do you write? Is Ambiance important? Do you have rituals or habits when you write? 

Lately I've been writing in auditoriums and on trains.  Sometimes in response to a particular inspiration and others in response to my short attention span.  I do have rituals, but am always messing them up and losing important pens.

4) In the balance between found language and created language where does your work fall?

I mostly use found language as a jumping off point.  On my bedroom wall I have a huge sheet of paper where I jot down ideas and phrases to use later like "Noise Library" which is a reinterpretation of the "Noyes Library" near where I grew up.  Sometimes those found and borrowed phrases make it through the revision process, but not always.