Q: How did you first get interested in poetry and art?
I'll answer the art question first. When I was about four years old, I remember watching my mother design Christmas cards. With a pen and colored ink, she was able to make black squiggles on a piece of white
paper into broken glass Christmas balls under the tree. I drew ever since I can remember. I loved art. I had trouble learning in school but I always got A's in art. Later, after I graduated from college, I became interested in poetry because when I wasn't doing art, I was writing down my feelings. I didn't even know it was the beginnings of a poetic career until many years later when I took a poetry class. I HATED poetry in grade school. It was so BORING—it always rhymed and it wasn't about things that were interesting—like feelings.
Q: Do you enjoy teaching kids poetry and art?
Of course! That's why I'm here! I <3 it.
Q: Would you make this your professional job?
This IS my professional job. I was chosen from many other artists across the state of California to work with students because I am a professional artist. I was judged by my experience working with kids
and by my artwork.
Q: Did you like poetry as a child?
I think I already answered that, I liked to sing. Songs often rhyme. But I liked the melody, not the words. Whenever there was poetry in a novel I was reading, I used to skip over that part. I think now, it's
because the poetry was old-fashioned and I couldn't get into what the author was trying to say. Because it wasn't accessible—like Olde English! To read poetry one needs to slow down and try to imagine the
poet telling them the poem, it wasn't until I went to hear a famous poet Gary Snyder read at College of Marin one dark, stormy night (before most of you were born} that I said, I could do that! And then
I found out how hard it was to write. I'm still learning—even from you guys!
Q: Are you thinking of a big success with selling the books at the Crafts Faire?
You Bet! And all the money will go to having an artist come and work with you next year. Most kids don't ever get to work with an artist so it's important to show that you support having art in school. So buy
lots of little books. We have one-of-a-kind art masterpieces designed by 5th and 6th graders, blank books and beautiful hand-colored Christmas cards by students. But, I would love to work here again in
the future because I think the kids, the teachers and school community are TOPS and I've been to a lot of schools so I know Mark West is a great school.
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Q: Have you ever done a booth before? If so, what were you selling?
Do flea markets count? Once I sold all my friend's clothes because she was too shy. I've also sold calligraphy at crafts faires.
Q: Do you think some of your future work might become famous?
Well, when I was about 12 years old, I remember saying to myself, someday I'll be famous as a writer. And then I said, Don't be ridiculous. Of course, you're not going to be famous. You're going to be an artist, NOT a writer. I think it's possible that some of my work will get fairly well known because I do have a lot of unusual talent. However, talent isn't enough. You have to work hard because your work is what you believe in—even when everyone else says, Give it up. You're no good. That happened to me. If I'd listened to some of my teachers, I'd be doing something safe and boring. But I work very hard and very long hours, many more than if I had a 9-to-5 job. As far as getting famous, it's just a fluke. Being at the right place at the right time with just enough talent or work to convince someone you are famous. That's too fickle. I'd rather have a lot of GOOD work out in the world. Fame is just a large popularity contest.
Q: Do you think the 6th grades will continue to write poems in Jr. High?
You guys better! Actually, I think once writing gets into your blood, it's hard to shake. I know that MWS students at Comstock who took my writing classes are still writing and winning awards. Philip
Bazzano is head of the literary magazine at Comstock. So you'll have friends in high places! Even if you don't write for 10 or 20 years after you leave MWS (poetry & creative fiction) you may wake up one
morning and be a writer again. Once you see the world with the eyes of an artist, you'll always be taking notes on life itself. That's mostly what art is about anyway, being a spy.
