Blowback magazine online 34 Questions
Owen Roberts
1. Why do you write poetry?
Not talented enough to write a novel...?
I’m not completely joking, I’d prefer to write a novel,
but I genuinely do enjoy reading poetry, especially for
someone like myself with an extremely short
attention span. What I really like about poetry is that
if you don’t like the one you’re reading, you just move
on to the next page. If your reading an anthology and
don’t like a particular person or their style/poems,
you just turn the page and get something/someone
new.
2. What audience do you hope to reach in your
poems, if any?
I’m not picky. Reading faces tough competition with
TV, internet, movies...
The audience ‘appears’ to be a pretty selective
bunch, it’s not called SMALL PRESS for nuthin’!
3. Is it important for you to one day achieve Poetic
fame, or win prizes of any variety?
Who wouldn’t, or I should say ‘I’ wouldn’t mind a bit
of fame and what comes along with it. I’m not sure
about what prizes are available (other than poetry
contests you have to PAY to enter, so if you win it
doesn’t really mean much!). I enjoy it for what it is,
and it does not generally include payment, so I guess
I’d be lying to not say I do love and enjoy the process
and end result.
4. If you said no to the above question, is
That really the truth?
5. How significant is poetry in the world Today in
your opinion?
In the grand scheme of things; very little. If on some
small level it brings enjoyment to a reader or writer,
that’s obviously a good thing. Overall it’s important
to me, and that’s what I care about...
6. Does poetry have any impact in the World beyond
tiny little pleasures to The few that read it?
No. You answered your question with that question!
7. If you think poetry has tiny impact in The world,
do you think that could ever Go beyond a kind of
elitist/underground/Hallmark silly populist prism it
exists in Now?
No. It is what it is. Mountains and minds are not
moving or changing from poetry.
8. Do you think it is important to write Frequently or
only when in the mood?
I think it’s important to write everyday, if I only wait
for the ‘mood’ to strike me I’d probably never write,
sometimes you force yourself to sit down and try to
hammer something out. Sometimes I sit down and
immediately tell myself; Why Bother? That’s when I’
m doomed, once that negative shit gets in my head,
better to move onto surfing for porn, or shoveling the
sidewalk.
9. How do you go about determining if Your poetry is
any good?
The funny thing about writing is even the WORST
writer truly believes he’s GOOD. Any editor/publisher
that rejects you must be an ‘asshole’, because
obviously they don’t GET your crazy talent! But
opinions are like assholes, we all have one.
Submitting doesn’t prove anything, a lot of editors
are no better or worse than the writers. My theory is
if the editor doesn’t like my poetry, they must know
nothing! I’ve had some pretty funny rejections,
sometimes a ‘good’ rejection letter is more
memorable than being published.
I have no problem admitting I believe I’m the best
poet writing today. Trust me, I’m a classic - BIG
EGO, but low self-esteem guy... I read others poetry
and I believe I’m better... You get very little feedback
in the small press, if you sell 100 copies of a book
that’s pretty amazing, small press poetry is a selfish
act, you do it for yourself, if readers arrive or follow,
that’s all secondary and a plus.
10. How often do you ask somebody else To give you
a reaction to your poetry?
Rarely but I do bounce poems off Bill Roberts (no
relation). I’m open to a good critique and I generally
don’t disagree with his assessment. I was placed into
an English as a second language class in grade 10, it’
s amazing I can type or form sentences at all! Plus I
graduated high school with 52% or a D average. So I’
m not above a good critique.
11. If you do solicit an opinion is it Other poets,
critics, teachers, friends,
Or someone else you seek?
Bill is the publisher/editor at Bottle of Smoke Press,
he published my first chapbook; MY BEST YEARS
ARE PROBABLY BEHIND ME and is releasing
CANADA’S FINEST POET in 2007.
12. How often do you go back and edit Your poetry?
I know an asshole or two who claim they never ‘edit’
their poetry, but they are generally blow-hards with
bullshit egos. I write a poem and then leave it alone,
when I submit for a magazine or book I go through it
all and start ‘fixing’ or editing the pieces. I’ve written
maybe a handful of poems I never had to edit, and
they were generally short pieces (less than 10 lines).
Novels go through re-writes, movies get re-edited,
poems get re-worked.
13. How often do you go back and read A poem you
have written and think
Either this is really great or this is Terrible?
Usually my reaction is; This is terrible. I’ve got pages
and pages of really bad poems. When you write one
that really works for ‘you’, it’s a nice feeling and you’
d like to have it return as often as possible but it
doesn’t happen very often for me. You read it over
and over again, r>
High school, all the really horrible stuff that turns most teenagers
off of writing or reading. When I was in grade school I used to
write SOAP OPERAS, occasionally my mother would let me take
the day off school if I watched ALL MY CHILDREN with her, this
was from about age 3 or 4 until I was almost a teenager, so I
wrote Soap Opera episodes about a rich family in Berkeley,
California and all their trials and tribulations... Then I wrote
stories about my favorite rock groups; Cheap Trick and ACDC.
Eventually as I got into drugs and alcohol I kept a journal apisodes about a
rich family in Berkeley, California and all their trials
and tribulations... Then I wrote stor br soft>between academic
And non academic worlds that do Not frequently
intersect?
my ‘thing’ or well is me.
22. Do “insider” “little circle” “asskisser” “flatter my back, I’ll
flatter yours”
&n
Owen Roberts
1. Why do you write poetry?
Not talented enough to write a novel...?
I’m not completely joking, I’d prefer to write a novel,
but I genuinely do enjoy reading poetry, especially for
someone like myself with an extremely short
attention span. What I really like about poetry is that
if you don’t like the one you’re reading, you just move
on to the next page. If your reading an anthology and
don’t like a particular person or their style/poems,
you just turn the page and get something/someone
new.
2. What audience do you hope to reach in your
poems, if any?
I’m not picky. Reading faces tough competition with
TV, internet, movies...
The audience ‘appears’ to be a pretty selective
bunch, it’s not called SMALL PRESS for nuthin’!
3. Is it important for you to one day achieve Poetic
fame, or win prizes of any variety?
Who wouldn’t, or I should say ‘I’ wouldn’t mind a bit
of fame and what comes along with it. I’m not sure
about what prizes are available (other than poetry
contests you have to PAY to enter, so if you win it
doesn’t really mean much!). I enjoy it for what it is,
and it does not generally include payment, so I guess
I’d be lying to not say I do love and enjoy the process
and end result.
4. If you said no to the above question, is
That really the truth?
5. How significant is poetry in the world Today in
your opinion?
In the grand scheme of things; very little. If on some
small level it brings enjoyment to a reader or writer,
that’s obviously a good thing. Overall it’s important
to me, and that’s what I care about...
6. Does poetry have any impact in the World beyond
tiny little pleasures to The few that read it?
No. You answered your question with that question!
7. If you think poetry has tiny impact in The world,
do you think that could ever Go beyond a kind of
elitist/underground/Hallmark silly populist prism it
exists in Now?
No. It is what it is. Mountains and minds are not
moving or changing from poetry.
8. Do you think it is important to write Frequently or
only when in the mood?
I think it’s important to write everyday, if I only wait
for the ‘mood’ to strike me I’d probably never write,
sometimes you force yourself to sit down and try to
hammer something out. Sometimes I sit down and
immediately tell myself; Why Bother? That’s when I’
m doomed, once that negative shit gets in my head,
better to move onto surfing for porn, or shoveling the
sidewalk.
9. How do you go about determining if Your poetry is
any good?
The funny thing about writing is even the WORST
writer truly believes he’s GOOD. Any editor/publisher
that rejects you must be an ‘asshole’, because
obviously they don’t GET your crazy talent! But
opinions are like assholes, we all have one.
Submitting doesn’t prove anything, a lot of editors
are no better or worse than the writers. My theory is
if the editor doesn’t like my poetry, they must know
nothing! I’ve had some pretty funny rejections,
sometimes a ‘good’ rejection letter is more
memorable than being published.
I have no problem admitting I believe I’m the best
poet writing today. Trust me, I’m a classic - BIG
EGO, but low self-esteem guy... I read others poetry
and I believe I’m better... You get very little feedback
in the small press, if you sell 100 copies of a book
that’s pretty amazing, small press poetry is a selfish
act, you do it for yourself, if readers arrive or follow,
that’s all secondary and a plus.
10. How often do you ask somebody else To give you
a reaction to your poetry?
Rarely but I do bounce poems off Bill Roberts (no
relation). I’m open to a good critique and I generally
don’t disagree with his assessment. I was placed into
an English as a second language class in grade 10, it’
s amazing I can type or form sentences at all! Plus I
graduated high school with 52% or a D average. So I’
m not above a good critique.
11. If you do solicit an opinion is it Other poets,
critics, teachers, friends,
Or someone else you seek?
Bill is the publisher/editor at Bottle of Smoke Press,
he published my first chapbook; MY BEST YEARS
ARE PROBABLY BEHIND ME and is releasing
CANADA’S FINEST POET in 2007.
12. How often do you go back and edit Your poetry?
I know an asshole or two who claim they never ‘edit’
their poetry, but they are generally blow-hards with
bullshit egos. I write a poem and then leave it alone,
when I submit for a magazine or book I go through it
all and start ‘fixing’ or editing the pieces. I’ve written
maybe a handful of poems I never had to edit, and
they were generally short pieces (less than 10 lines).
Novels go through re-writes, movies get re-edited,
poems get re-worked.
13. How often do you go back and read A poem you
have written and think
Either this is really great or this is Terrible?
Usually my reaction is; This is terrible. I’ve got pages
and pages of really bad poems. When you write one
that really works for ‘you’, it’s a nice feeling and you’
d like to have it return as often as possible but it
doesn’t happen very often for me. You read it over
and over again, r>
High school, all the really horrible stuff that turns most teenagers
off of writing or reading. When I was in grade school I used to
write SOAP OPERAS, occasionally my mother would let me take
the day off school if I watched ALL MY CHILDREN with her, this
was from about age 3 or 4 until I was almost a teenager, so I
wrote Soap Opera episodes about a rich family in Berkeley,
California and all their trials and tribulations... Then I wrote
stories about my favorite rock groups; Cheap Trick and ACDC.
Eventually as I got into drugs and alcohol I kept a journal apisodes about a
rich family in Berkeley, California and all their trials
and tribulations... Then I wrote stor br soft>between academic
And non academic worlds that do Not frequently
intersect?
22. Do “insider” “little circle” “asskisser” “flatter my back, I’ll
flatter yours”
&n