Poet Interview

World of Writing - Poet Interview

Today we are featuring an interview with author Jess Parker. Jess resides in Madison, WI (US) where she works in business strategy, and has just released her very first book recently. Star Things, winner of the 2020 Dynamo Verlag Book Prize, contains ninety pages of "sixty-one brief yet powerful poems work in a broad array of forms, at once playful and dead serious, taking risks, toying with readers’ expectations and delivering seemingly effortless coups de grâce with a sly wink." The author holds an M.A. of Spanish Literature from UW-Madison and an MBA. Jess invites you to visit her @:  www.jesslparker.com, or at Instagram and Twitter: @jessleapoetry

Q: Do you feel like you can do more with poetry than prose?

A: While I write both poetry and prose, I lean toward poetry for a number of reasons. Pragmatically, poetry lends itself toward shorter pieces that can be written in the nooks and crannies of the day. As a mom of a ten-month-old with a full time job, this allows me to take advantage of moments in between tasks. It also suits my shorter attention span! When I do write prose, it retains a poetic, musical quality as that is the momentum that pulls me forward as a writer.


Q: What is the main focus of your poetry work?

A: The subject matter of my poems varies widely and some border on science fiction (although the speculative poetry community has yet to embrace me as one of their own, I'm working on it!). That said, themes that recur in my poetry are the sky/stars as a canvas for human emotional experience, relationships, magic in the mundane, and (more recently) motherhood. A goal for my poetry is to spark emotional connection with readers, creating a sense of familiarity by highlighting daily experiences that are often overlooked.

Q: Do you still have the first piece you wrote?

I don't have the first piece that I wrote as I started very young. I do, however, have a memory of being about four years old and sitting my parents down to insist that they listen to a song I had written. It was really a spoken poem with a bit of melody, though I didn't know that then. When they said that the song was 'cute', I remember giving them the silent treatment for the rest of the day because, even then, I was taking the task of writing quite seriously. My grandfather was a poet, songwriter, and novelist-- he also was the family archivist so, fortunately or unfortunately, I do have copies of things that I wrote in grade school which is a trip to read!

Q: What is your typical workday like? (Do you stick to a writing schedule? Do you set daily goals?)

My writing tends to happen in waves. Some weeks I'll write three or five pieces and other times I'll write nothing for several weeks. I've embraced this as part of my process. Especially working full time and with a small child, I need to be flexible with myself. There are several ways that I do find consistency in my process; one is keeping a notebook and pen in every room of my house and being diligent about pausing to write down a few lines when they come to me. Another is that when I find myself taking a break from writing, rather than panic or force myself to write, I take on the task of editing and submitting my work. In this way, I stay productive as both writing and submitting are necessary.

Q: What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good poetry?

First, one thing that I love about poetry is that no one can tell you that it is wrong! Sure, there are elements that make poems objectively better, however, there are myriad ways to write a good poem and no single formula that you must follow. What makes a good poem for me includes; images that live and breathe, ability to evoke strong emotion, attention to sound, and space for the reader to make their own interpretation about some element of the poem.

Q: Did you take any writing classes?


While I started writing before I took any formal writing classes, I had the opportunity to study under some very talented writers at Northern Michigan University while completing my B.A. of English and Spanish. I studied poetry, creative writing, and literary critique during this time. Later, while completing my M.A. of Spanish Literature at UW-Madison, I took a poetry in translation course and was inspired by the art of translation which has remained an interest of mine. My hope is to translate, Star Things, into Spanish in the coming years.

Q: Where do you hope to take your writing in the future?

I'm currently about half way finished with my second poetry manuscript that deals with themes on pregnancy and postpartum. So, my goal is to publish that collection within a few years. I'm also working on a novel that deals with early motherhood and female identity as it relates to parenting while working. Additionally, I'm working to connect with more readers and writers online and have enjoyed using social media to share poems, encourage other writers, and build community!

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