Each week we will be connecting with our contributors showing where they have been, where they are now, and what’s up for the future.
Name: Phyllis Klein
Title of Pieces Published in Sweet: “Snow Drifts Through the Living Room” & “Hardware“
Issues: 10.1 & 11.1
Find Her:
Phyllis has been busy sheltering in place, writing poetry, working online, and getting her first book of poetry published. We can’t wait to see it!
She is also getting her website, phyllispoetry.com ready to launch. We will be on the look out to see it first!
What are some major accomplishments you have had since your Sweet publication?
The main event is my book, The Full Moon Herald, published by Grayson Books. It’s a newspaper of poetry with chapters corresponding to the sections in a newspaper, such as International News, National News, Health, Book Review, Obituary, and more. Since I love writing about the news, the book gives me a chance to compile some of the “articles” and chronicles my inner and outer journey of recent and past events.
I was also lucky enough to be Fourth finalist in the Fischer Prize, part of the Telluride Poetry Festival, 2019. I wasn’t able to go to the festival, but did get to visit Telluride last September, such a treat, albeit the altitude does make its presence known.
Phyllis was also recently interviewed by Michael Anthony Ingram for Quintessential Listening: Poetry Online Radio. You can listen to the interview here.
Can you tell us about a current/ongoing project that you’re excited about?
I’m in the process of publicizing my book, working on a poetry website for myself, and looking for the new writing projects. In the meantime, I’m keeping up with writing about the news, as depressing as it can be at times, there is power in writing about the difficult things, and then I love the good news when it shows up also. I’m going to take a class and attend an online workshop this summer. And it’s a good time to read poetry to others through an online platform, and I hope to attend some out of town readings while we are still all meeting on Zoom.
Who is your favorite author?
That changes daily. Right now I’d say Ellen Bass, but yesterday it was Naomi Shihab Nye.
What is your favorite poem/essay/book?
Today’s answer: Indigo. Yesterday, California Fire and Water. Tomorrow, infinite possibilities!
What inspires you to write?
I need to tell the truth to myself, and poetry helps me do that in a way that might be surprising to me. I need to chronicle my world, to do something in the face of helplessness or fear. Writing is my tool, the vehicle I drive that puts me on the road towards empowerment.
What are you reading right now?
Indigo by Ellen Bass, Nightingale by Paisley Rekdal, St. Peter and the Goldfinch by Jack Ridl, Dancing on the Edge, The McRedeye Poems by Art Goodtimes.
What is your favorite sweet?
Sweet potatoes. I don’t eat much sugar, but these guys really help with that.
We love sweet potatoes, too. For dessert or side, you can’t go wrong. You can find how to make the perfect sweet potato here.
Thank you, Phyllis, for taking the time to reconnect with us. We look forward to seeing more of your work in the future!
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