Laura Van Prooyen is author of three collections of poetry: Frances of the Wider Field (Lily Poetry Review Books) Our House Was on Fire (Ashland Poetry Press) nominated by Philip Levine and winner of the McGovern Prize and Inkblot and Altar (Pecan Grove Press). She is also co-author with Gretchen Bernabei of Text Structures from Poetry, a book of writing lessons for educators of grades 4-12 (Corwin Literacy). Van Prooyen is the Managing Editor for The Cortland Review and is the founder of Next Page Press: www.nextpage-press.com. She lives in San Antonio, TX. www.lauravanprooyen.com
In this interesting and engaging discussion we talk about Laura’s life and how she came to be a writer of poetry. We talk about poetry as a means of catharsis, about meditation and journaling practices, and about her writing process and how she thinks about organization collections of poetry. We also talk about several other projects Laura is involved in, including something new and exciting. I’m grateful for Laura’s time and openness and think you’ll enjoy the conversation. As always, thanks for reading and for listening.
Laura’s books:
Other books and publications mentioned in this episode:
- 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
- The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
- The Nightfields by Joanna Klink
- World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
- Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life’s Work by Steven Pressfield
- Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
- Borderlands Texas Poetry Review
- The Cortland Review
Other people mentioned in this episode:
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