Spring in the Inland Northwest has its sure signs, like balsamroot bursting up along hiking trails, the Spokane River's water crashing beneath bridges — and hundreds of writers descending on the city to celebrate our vibrant literary scene at the Get Lit! Festival. This year, former Spokane poet laureate and prize-winning poet Laura Read is launching her new book, But She Is Also Jane, and participating in Get Lit!'s headlining event with current National Poet Laureate Ada Limón and emerging Seattle literary star Gabrielle Bates. We sat down on a recent Sunday to discuss Read's approach to using humor in poetry and how to manage writing honestly in a community where almost everyone knows her name.
INLANDER: This is a funny book in spite of, or maybe because of, the intensity of its subject matter — workplace harassment, the ways in which women are perceived in the world, aging — how do you approach writing humor into your poems?
READ: I think it is a fine line to walk in poetry. You want humor to catch your reader by surprise, to make them laugh, which moves them in a new direction. For a long time I didn't believe humor belonged in poetry, but now I think there are ways to do it well, which helps a reader consider what you want to say with some complexity.
What convinced you that humor does belong in poetry?
It has something to do with the fact that anger and humor live close to one another. When you think something is outrageous, sometimes you laugh, you know? I feel like those two emotions go so well together.
What shows up in your new book that requires that kind of emotional companionship?
Writing about women's bodies is not always valued or taken seriously, which is enraging, so I'm making an argument with this book that these subjects are worthy of art. I'm not making that argument on my own either — there are many women, men and nonbinary people who write about this today and have done so historically, making sure that the domestic sphere is getting our attention.
These are some of your most brazen and vulnerable poems. What's allowed you to access this level of vulnerability?
The older I get the more I believe I should say the things I want to say. I think, too, watching my kids grow up and leave the house, living through the pandemic, family members dying — that kind of pain and change has made me bolder. I want to talk about things we aren't supposed to talk about, like aging or the medical establishment. I'm not the kind of person who's going to put my life on social media, but I do want to tell a story and contribute to the bravery of others who are talking about these life-changing experiences.
Much of this book involves memories of your childhood, deeply rooted in Spokane. How do you grapple with memory in your writing while also living in the community where those memories were formed?
I don't feel like I would write poems if I didn't have all these different points of connection. When I'm writing I want to make sure there are enough pieces attached to that experience to give the poem complexity. Memory is one of those layers. I see memory as adding dimension to a poem. It can be uncomfortable when people come to my readings who have known me since childhood because they have their own experiences with the places and events I am writing about. But my writing represents versions of me that exist in a specific moment in time, which creates some distance I find comforting, especially when I have to do the risky business of reading in public.
I wonder if time is the material poets work with the most? Outside of words, of course.
An Evening with U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, Laura Read & Gabrielle Bates
April 22 at 7 pm, $25, Bing Crosby Theater
More at getlitfestival.org
Definitely. For me, the impulse to write a poem is like the impulse some people have to take a picture. I want to capture how I feel when I experience all of these memories colliding with each other. Even when I'm writing about other people in my life, ultimately, I'm writing about who I've been and who I am now.
You'll be sharing a stage with Seattle poet Gabrielle Bates and current National Poet Laureate Ada Limón at Get Lit! How do you prepare to have conversations with other poets in front of an audience?
I think a part of preparation is settling the nerves. Reading in public can be intimidating, but on the other hand, you already wrote the words, so you know what you are going to say. We are going to have a conversation on stage, which is great, from an audience perspective, because you get to know the writers a little more intimately. I think focusing on the importance of sharing our work and giving people an opportunity to connect helps me get over any fear I have of performing. Also, Ada and Gabby write poetry that is very sincere and accessible. It can be challenging sometimes to experience a poem live, but I think this lineup knows how to welcome an audience and make them feel at home. ♦
