Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Teresa Carson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Teresa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

For the past six years my primary, and very meaningful, poetry project has been THE ARGUMENT OF TIME, a 5-book series that was sparked by my first visit, in 2014, to Ostia Antica, an extinct city on the outskirts of Rome. I chose “taking a risk” because this project has been inherently risky from its start – e.g., my decision to write what is essentially a 5-book “epic” in a time when long poems are out of fashion; my decision to have each book be bi-lingual (English and Italian); my decision to weave scholarship into the poems (and to collaborate with scholars). Lucky for me I have a publisher, Jeff Haste/Deerbrook Editions, who supports my vision. Three (VISIT TO AN EXTINCT CITY; METAMORPHOSES, BOOK XVI; TIME OUT OF JOINT) of the planned five have been published by Deerbrook Editions. The fourth, RE [MOVED] [USED] [COVERED] is in the hands of my Italian translator, who is also my Italian tutor.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

At the age of 10 I knew that I was a writer, but didn’t yet know that poetry was my home. I grew up in a working class family which didn’t support – emotionally or financially – my desire to be a write so I worked for the phone company for over three decades in order to pay the bills. I continued to write, and even took some writing classes in my twenties, but didn’t decide to “go public” – i.e., join a writing workshop, attend conferences, go for an MFA – until my late-thirties. I’m most proud of the fact that I never gave up on my writing self. My favorite workshops to teach are ones in which the students/attendees aren’t sure they’re “good enough” in some way for reading/writing poetry. I don’t believe that everyone SHOULD read/write poetry, but I do believe that everyone who wants to can find a poetry “conversation” that speaks to them. My job as a teacher has always been to help them find that conversation.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

One mission driving my creative journey is my strong belief that art, in all its forms, belongs to everyone. During the years that I’ve been working on my ARGUMENT OF TIME project, I’ve had many a moment when I’ve thought, “Who do I think I am? I don’t have a Classics degree. I never studied Latin. I’m not an expert in archaeology or art history. How dare I write about these subjects?” I always manage to pull myself away from getting too lost in unworthiness; but many people, especially those from less privileged backgrounds, miss out because they haven’t had the opportunity to engage with the arts. I’m always eager bring the arts to people and people to the arts.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Contact Info:

• Website: www.teresacarson.com