‘This is a very personal poem which I have never discussed or read in public.’
Poetry laid bare: privileged access to the mind of the poet in Rosanna McGlone’s ‘The Process of Poetry’
Fly on the Wall Press is delighted to announce the acquisition of The Process of Poetry, a craft book edited by Rosanna McGlone, set to be released on the 18th December 2023. This unique collection of interviews with the likes of Don Paterson, Regi Claire and Mona Arshi gets to the heart of the process, form and evolution of a poet’s work, sharing the initial notes of a first draft to the final published version.
We attach literary prowess and prestige to the likes of novels War and Peace, Great Expectations and The Odyssey. But what about the meticulous craft that goes into the fourteen lines of a sonnet, or the paradoxical restraint required when writing in free verse? Through fifteen interviews with some of the most influential contemporary poets, Rosanna McGlone’s collection takes us through the process of poetry, asking poets to strip their poems bare and uncover their craft.
Prefacing each interview by showing us an early draft, followed by the final version of a chosen poem, McGlone has us see the poem (and, by extension, the poet) in all their vulnerability, before the final publication. Allowing us a privileged insight into the unpublished, original manuscript, a spotlight is shone on the meticulous editorial processes involved in writing a poem. Some poets have even chosen to have the actual hand-written page of the drafted version printed in this book, providing an even greater sense of intimacy with the writing process.
In the interviews that follow, each poet delves deeper into their personal process of poetry-writing, concerning both the specific poem we have just read and their approach to writing in general. McGlone’s questions demand that the poets scrutinise their own craft, asking them to consider everything from the specifics of changes in word, syntax and structure, as well as asking them to disclose their own inspirations, the strengths and weaknesses they see in their own writing and advice they would give to aspiring poets. Indeed, McGlone asks insightful and demanding questions which force each poet to get to the heart of their writing process.
The poets often disagree with and contradict one another in their answers. Concerning the ending of the poem, where, for Victoria Kennefick, ‘one of the most exciting things is finding the final line’ and writing the ending for Sean O’Brien carries ‘a sense of something having fallen into place’, John McCullough quotes that ‘A poem is never finished, only abandoned.’ In complete contradistinction, for Caroline Bird, the uncertainty of the origins of a poem, ‘the sudden tug of a poem wanting to exist’, gives her more excitement than reaching the ending.
Through pairing the prototype of a poem with its the final version, McGlone’s collection imbues poetry with a personality of its own, uncovering its flaws and vulnerabilities and characterising it as a maturing form. We get a clear sense that the production of a poem is a careful and nurturing process: getting to know the theme, speaker, tone and sonic quality of the poem and allowing it to grow from there. As Mona Arshi aptly puts it, ‘the poem is always wiser than you.’
Rosanna McGlone is a multi-talented writer and member of the Society of Authors. She has previously written for prestigious publications such as The Guardian, The Independent, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian. With her extensive knowledge and expertise in the field of poetry, Rosanna has expertly curated this collection of interviews to provide a unique insight into the world of contemporary poetry.
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