De Jackson: Poet Interview

The next poet in our Top 25 series was actually cited in the previous interview: De Jackson. De has been around as long as I can remember on this blog, and she's been an uplifting spirit--and I've personally witnessed her grow as a poet (hopefully she can say the same for me).

De wanted to be a Poet-Pirate-Princess when she grew up, but is (mostly) happily settling into the roles of parent and freelance writer. De’s been writing for the PAD challenges since 2009, and has been penning a poem a day, every day, for several years. So far she’s been paid for her published poetry in book copies, subscriptions, garbanzo beans, and one time, a whole dollar (okay, it was a cyber PayPal dollar, but it's out there, somewhere - my first little poetry paycheck). Follow De's blog at http://whimsygizmo.wordpress.com.

Here's her Top 25 poem:

Sevenling, by De Jackson

You taught me
the game of rock,
paper, scissors.

Hearts,
spades
and the art of origami.

I fold. You win.

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Where are you located?

Hopelessly desert-bound in Henderson, Nevada, a quiet little suburb pocket of Las Vegas. My soul lives in Lake Tahoe, but my people live here, and I’m fond of seeing them every day.

Who are your favorite poets?

I fell head-over-heels for E.E. Cummings as a teenager. Brian Andreas is an incredible poet/artist. Shel Silverstein, of course. Alice Walker. Theodore Roethke. David, writer of the Psalms. Honestly, some of my favorite poets are right here, and I now also call them friends.

As a reader, what do you like most in poems?

I’m all about the language, the word bump. When two words or phrases rub up against each other just right, they make sparks. I have fallen in love with entire poems a few times, but mostly it’s the phrases that linger. I’m also a big fan of powerful verbs, wielded in a way I’ve never seen before…and enjambment that creates the possibility for multiple meanings.

What were your goals for the 2013 April PAD Challenge?

Same as for every challenge: just keep writing! And reading the amazing work that always flows from these daily challenges. I’ve met some of the most astounding poets here.

What's next for you?

My family takes a tremendous amount of time and energy right now, but I hope to pull together a chapbook or poetry collection next year, and I have a young adult novel idea I want to put in motion. And always, to continue to write every day.

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Get started in writing!

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Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Content Editor of the Writer's Digest Writing Community and lucky to associate with so many talented writers on a daily basis. He's the author of Solving the World's Problems. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.

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