member spotlight: lawrence gladeview

by Nathan Moore

How long have you been writing poetry?

NOT counting adolescent notebook scrawl and undergraduate college gripes and ambition, I’ve been writing poetry for 11 months.

Do you schedule time for writing or do you write when inspiration strikes?

I never schedule time to write. With a notebook stowed away in my backpack, I scribble notes as thoughts clumsily stumble through my head.

Do you have any writing rituals?

No writing rituals as of yet, just the slightest of tea and bourbon over rocks.

What is your process for revising a poem?

When revising a poem, I read aloud. From there, I give it to my fiance to chop up and dissect. Upon hearing her edits, I reread and again, read aloud (I can’t take criticism well). Eventually after a week of indecision, I tighten and execute.

Has blogging changed your writing or the way that you write?

Blogging has not changed the way I write in the least.

Have you ever collaborated with another poet or artist? What did you think of that experience?

I have recently begun collaborating with good friend and fellow editor of MediaVirus Magazine Stewart Grant. We sent each other a title, and from there the challenge is to write one stanza, five to 10 lines. We plan on sending the words back and forth, amalgamating and composing stanzas into a complete poem.

What line of poetry do you love the most?

“Never believe what you wrote yesterday is good enough” — Charles Bukowski

What line of your own poetry do you love the most?

What line of my own poetry do I love the most? I’ll have to answer your question with a question of my own: Which of your children do you love the most?

Name your three favorite poets.

My three favorite poets would have to be Yusef Komunyakaa, Joe Strummer and Charles Bukowski.

What’s the most important thing a poem does?

The most important thing a poem can do is elicit a response from the reader. I don’t care if they love the piece or hate it, at the very least they still feel. Oftentimes I read poems and it’s as if I am staring at a blank page, feeling numb to the words in front of me. Tell a story, convey a personal anecdote, manifest fantasy, whatever it takes, make the reader feel something.

What’s the weirdest place you’ve ever written a poem?

The weirdest place I’ve written a poem is the shower.

What interests you about participating in Read Write Poem?

Read Write Poem is an amazing commune of poets from around the world. The single-most thing that makes poets dynamic is experience. Read Write Poem provides a community in which poets can first and foremost share their poetry. Through them we experience their attitude, lifestyle, politics and the countless other aspects that make writers eccentric, drunk, joyous and melancholy. What interests me about participating at Read Write Poem is evolving as a poet learning from others.

Can poetry save the world?

Poetry can save the world. Poetry is humility. Poetry is tolerance. Poetry is naked. We live in a very superficial world, one that berates, judges and simultaneously misplaces praise. If every individual on earth took the time to write one poem once, and read one poem once a day, humanity can overcome our misguidance in what we cherish most. To expose ourselves and understand others is how poetry can save this world.

Have a question or thought to share? Let us know in the comment section of this post.

Community director Nathan Moore found The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry and left the academy. He once lived in a house with three walls. Nathan shares his writing at Exhaust Fumes and French Fries.