Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, eh. Raised in Ohio.
What was it that first got you into writing and when did
you start writing?
My father liked to write poems for our birthdays, and as
soon as I noticed the pattern, I followed suit.
Alice Munro for her wisdom, Tolstoy for how he weaves the
social fabric of a time and place into personal drama. The poets Levertov,
Merwin, Rich, Emily Dickinson, and Tomaz Salamun. The essayists and
storytellers: Kundera, Stegner, Maxine Hong Kingston, Louise Erdrich, Italo
Calvino, Arundhati Roy. I respond to anything that ignites the imagination with
respect to ideas.
I have three published books of narrative poetry. My new
novel, Shiva’s Arms, uses South Indian mythology as a backdrop for a
story whose set-up is drawn from my life: unsuitable American bride marries
Indian boy.
A new novel, about abandonment and blurred boundaries.
I write on those big yellow legal pads before turning on
the computer. When I get stuck, I play the piano to loosen up.
The endless beginnings found in revision, and finding out
what I really think.
False starts and paper cuts.
What’s the best piece of feedback that you’ve had from
your audience?
Once, a waitress quoted one of my poems to me while she
was taking my order.
Do you write for a particular audience, or is your first
priority to satisfy your own creativity?
I write for myself, and am always, always humbled when my
words affect another person.
Do you have a homepage? Do you have any short stories or
poems published online? (If so, please provide the URLs):
Many of my pieces show up in Google. I also keep a blog
devoted to my novel
at http://www.shivasarms.blogspot.com/
