Jim Gustafson

RS:

What are some of your favorite themes?

JG:

Confusion, in one way or another, seems always to be present. I write about aging, death, God, and weeds. Weeds keep creeping in. Sometimes they need to be pulled. Other times, they are allowed to stay, even if they clash with the other things growing on the page.

I am conscious, too, of the times in which we live. I remember a college professor saying to me, "Jim, the world is too much with you." I didn't realize that he was quoting Wordsworth. Now I do. It was the late sixties - civil rights and Vietnam were bring chaos to the street, as now.

I have long thought death brings meaning to what proceeds it. I have swung on the pendulum of belief my entire life. When I read my work, these themes seem to emerge, for better and, most often, for worse.

RS:

Do you ever write short stories?

JG:

Short stories are a challenge for me. I have written and published a few. I lack the patience it takes, or perhaps the better word is "discipline," to continually be in process. I have characters in my head. I even dream about them and write down what I recall. I have one story I have been working on for two years. I find some of the pieces show up in my poems.  

RS:

Is there anything you feel you do particularly well?

JG:

On occasion, I surprise myself with sound. John Logan said poetry is "ballet for the ear." I find great pleasure when my words connect in a dance to music.

RS:

What are some things you find difficult or uncomfortable to write about?

JG:

My challenge is digging deep. I have subjects within that refuse to come out. I know they are there, but they resist the page. I suspect shame, embarrassment, and guilt - real or false - keep me from finding the words. On the rare moments I pull such "weeds," I write my most satisfying pieces.

Another challenge for me is recurring patterns. Certain words, especially "in" keep sprinkling my poems. Revision, for me, always includes a search for unintended patterns. 

RS:

Favorite tip for writing poetry?

JG:

"Put your ass in the chair."