An Interview with Tom Rubenoff
The winner of the poetry section of the HubPatron of the Arts Contest shares more about his work
Congratulations on winning first place in the poetry section of the HubPatron of the Arts contest! I must say, your poem gives me goosebumps every time I read it. What inspired its creation?
Thank you! I am overwhelmed by the reactions of readers. It is humbling and validating at the same time. I was inspired to write this poem by an idea. It began with the idea of the inland sea and fossilized remains. From there it went to the end of life and how one gets there.
How long did it take for you to write the poem? Do you go through any particular process when composing new poems?
A poem can take years or minutes to write: this one took about a week. I am usually caught by a few words that I hear in my head, like “fossilize”, “theorize”, “demise”, in “Divesting of the Self”. From there I build a few lines that form a thought, such as looking dispassionately on the end of life. Another idea comes in - in this case a canoe. After that I only have to follow the canoe where it would naturally go.
Accompanying your poem are some beautiful images. How did you create them?
First I take photographs, then I modify them using software.
You share an excellent explanation of your poem in your Hub. Is it difficult to provide background on one's own poems? What was harder to write: the poem or its explanation?
I have generally disliked the idea of explaining my poems in the past, but the contest requirement of an explanation made me venture into new territory, rethinking my position. I love it when readers come up with a different meaning for my poem than I did. However, to comply with the rules, I was constrained to explain. Like the poem, I let the explanation unfold on its own. The poem tells a story. I retold the story in prose. Simple. So the poem was the more difficult of the two to get right. A poem must make sense musically and must speak with images that supersede the words. An explanation need only explain with words.
For how long have you been publishing poetry online? Is the experience somewhat different from simply writing poetry out and sharing it with friends in person or via email?
I have been publishing poetry online since about 2001, when I was in my second bout of college. I learned how to code a little HTML, so I got myself a domain and put some of my poems up there. Self publishing your poetry online is totally different than sharing it any other way. When you put your poetry online, the world can read it. I also recommend to all poets that they should read their poetry out loud, first to themselves, and eventually in public at an open mic or similar. When you read a poem aloud to an audience you give it a whole new life.
You share in your profile that you're a published poet and you have published several guides to writing poetry as Hubs. If you could give only one tip to a new poet, what would it be?
ONE tip? Ah, well, I have written many hubs on how to improve one’s poetry. But if I had to limit myself to one piece of advice, I’d say, read your poetry out loud, either to yourself or to a trusted mentor like another poet or a teacher. There is nothing like reading your poetry aloud to help you find those places where it could flow better.
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