How often had you sent out Night Songs before it was chosen for publication by Gold Wake Press
in 2010?
Before sending out Night Songs, I had been publishing poems
in small print journals, as well as online literary magazines, for years. I was just thrilled to have poems
accepted, but after awhile, a few publishers expressed an interest in
publishing a full-length collection.
Although I didn't have one ready at the time, I kept track of the
publishers who had invited me to submit.
When Night Songs was finally
finished, I sent it to approximately four publishers. Gold Wake Press was the first one to respond, and when I saw
that my manuscript had been accepted, I was thrilled. I'm a fan of Jared Michael Wahlgren's creative work, especially
his full-length book from BlazeVOX.
He had also just published Zachary C. Bush and Donora Hillard, whose
work I really admire.
Tell me about the title. Had it always been Night Songs? Did it go through any other
changes?
I had written a chapbook
called Night Music, and I always
thought that I would stick with the same title when the full-length version was
ready. I realize now that Night Music is not a very good title,
but at the time, it seemed alright.
That all changed when I gave a reading in St. Louis at Dressel's Public
House with Nick Demske and several other poets. Nick called my chapbook by the wrong name, and told me that
he really enjoyed Night Songs. But I was so glad that he messed up
my chapbook's title. I decided
that Night Songs was a big
improvement over Night Music, and
that's what I ended up titling the full-length version. It still amazes me that accidents and
missteps can be so important for the creative process.
If you struck up a conversation next to someone
seated on an airplane, and after a few minutes you eventually told them that
you were an author who had a book of poetry published, how would you answer
their next question: “What’s the book about?”
I usually tell people
that it's a thematically linked poetry collection, with much of the work being
inspired by my love of classical music.
I think that's accurate, but it's also very much inspired by my love of
French prose poetry. The book
actually drifts in and out of French in certain passages. I think that person on the airplane
would also be surprised at just how strange the book actually gets. I even start erasing my own poems at
the end, which usually surprises the non-poets or non-poetry readers out there.
Night Songs has
just been reissued, correct? Can you tell me a little about the process of the
how and why of the reissue? And why the new cover, font size, etc.?
When Night Songs was first published, I was just starting out as a poet,
and it was also one of Gold Wake Press's first three titles. It's really wonderful and exciting to
see how much the press has grown, and to see growth in my writing at the same
time.
I'm so impressed with how
Jared Michael Wahlgren has developed the press since those early titles in
2010. He's expanded the catalogue,
publishing poetry as well as cross-genre work (like Kathleen Rooney's
novel-in-poems and Joshua Young's play-in-verse) and some really fascinating
collaborations. While the design
of the books was always beautiful, Gold Wake Press titles have also become, in
recent years, even more striking than those first few books.
The idea behind the
reissue was to create an edition of the book that's more in line with the
press's current aesthetic. When Night Songs was first published, all the
books had glossy covers, and the back cover was always white. The visual presentation of the books is
much different now. The current
titles have matte covers and spine text, but there's also more room for the
interior layout, cover design, and other visual elements to reflect the
aesthetic of the manuscript.
I really love what Gold
Wake Press has done with the design of the new edition of Night Songs. I
feel like the design elements have breathed new life into my first book.
Did you suggest or have any input regarding the
image that was used on the cover?
One of the great things
about working with an independent press is that you have more freedom and
choice when it comes to design elements.
I feel fortunate to have been asked for input about the cover artwork
for both editions. It's really
wonderful to have the opportunity to choose cover art that you feel represents
the book and your aesthetic.
It seems like there’s a possible misconception
among some poets who are trying to get their first book published: that they
must win a contest. Were you concerned about winning a contest at any point?
What advice would you give to poets sending their book out now regarding
contests versus open reading periods?
I never entered contests
for financial reasons. When I was
sending out Night Songs, I was
studying continental philosophy, so I really didn't have the money to pay entry
fees. But I think that open
reading periods do have a distinct advantage over contests. I say this because editors take into
account your track record publishing in magazines, how active you are in the
literary community (in terms of publishing, but also editing, reviewing, etc.),
and the potential readership for the book. These things tend to get overlooked in contests, where the
submissions are completely anonymous. So if you have a good track record of publications,
and are active as a reviewer or editor, I'd definitely suggest looking into
open reading periods, because these are the first books that tend to have the
best chance.
What about the publication of the actual poems in
journals and magazines prior to the book being published? Was there ever a
concern for you to have the majority of the poems published before you were
sending out your manuscript?
Even as a very young poet,
I knew that journal publication was important for building audience. That's why I worked hard to publish
nearly every poem from the book in a magazine. In my opinion, publishing in magazines is especially
important for a first book. For
one thing, it opens up opportunities for reviews, interviews, and features when
the collection is released. And
journal publication certainly helps generate interest in a new book. Even if it's not The New Yorker, publishing individual poems helps build a potential
audience for your poetry, which can be challenging with a first book.
What do you remember about the day when you saw
your published book for the first time?
In 2010, when the book
was first published, I was a residency at the Vermont Studio Center. I had a nightmare before the copies
arrived that I opened the box and the book was Xeroxed and stapled together
crooked. I was so nervous to see
the finished product, since I had never published a book before. When I saw the first edition, I was
thrilled. I remember being so
happy that I carried the book around with me everywhere I went. I literally wouldn't set the book
down.
When I saw the second
edition, I was even more thrilled.
It helped me see the work in a completely new way. I had been working in more experimental
forms since publishing Night Songs, but
seeing the finished book made me want to work on writing prose poems
again.
How has your life been different since your book
came out? I know that you have many more books published since the original
version of Night Songs is published.
How do you find time to write so much and put together so many books of poetry?
I feel so grateful to
Jared Michael Wahlgren for publishing my first book, since that one publication
opened up everything for me. The
other Gold Wake Press authors are so supportive, and have been really generous
as I've worked to promote my poetry.
After Night Songs came out,
Cow Heavy Books published my second book, and the editor, Donora Hillard, is
also a Gold Wake Press author. I
was thrilled to work with Donora, since she's a very talented poet, and she
also did some beautiful design work on my book. I might never have come into contact with her if it hadn't
have been for Night Songs. Likewise, Erin Elizabeth Smith is the
editor at Sundress Publications, and we're getting ready to release my new
book, Fortress, in 2014. I also met Erin through Gold Wake
Press. I feel fortunate to be
working with a press that publishes great poetry, but also promotes poets who
are active in the literary community working on exciting projects.
What are you doing to promote the reissue of Night Songs? How are you promoting it
now versus how you promoted it when it was first published?
I feel like I've learned
a lot about book promotions since my first book was published. When Night Songs was first published, I sent review copies directly to
magazines, which resulted in very few reviews. Magazines often wanted to publish a review, but didn't have
a reviewer. Now I definitely see
how important it is to reach out to individual reviewers whose work I
admire. I've also learned to focus
more on web-based promotion, since a reviewer can be posted and reposted, and
read by people in many different geographical locations. Most of my readings, on the other hand,
have been attended mostly by my friends, who already knew all about my
book.
What advice do you wish someone had given you
before your first book came out?
The fiction writer
Christina Milletti gave me great advice about book promotion. She said that it's important to be your
own publicist. This doesn't mean
being aggressive, or overbearing, but you should definitely follow up with
people. If someone mentioned that
they'd like to review your book, you might check with them and see if they need
help placing the review. I can't
tell you how many times I had an interested reviewer, and a magazine that
wanted to publish a review of my book, but the reviewer and the magazine didn't
know about each other. So you can
definitely steer reviewers toward interested markets.
For me, getting my books
reviewed has been a really enjoyable process. I've made great friends, and even met a collaborator, when I
was just trying to promote my books.
Poets shouldn't be afraid to reach out, because one of the most
rewarding aspects of poetry is being part of a community.
Are there any new projects in the works?
I'm working on a
collaboration with photographer and costumer Max Avi Kaplan. It involves Polaroids, disembodied
hands, and Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita. Stay tuned for details!
Do you believe that poetry can create change in
the world?
I can't speak for other
people, but poetry has certainly taught me to value things like community,
collaboration, and dialogue. If
you ask me, changing one individual's consciousness does create change in the
world.
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Kristina Marie Darling is
the author of sixteen books, which include Melancholia
(An Essay) (Ravenna Press, 2012), Petrarchan
(BlazeVOX Books, 2013), and a forthcoming hybrid genre collection called Fortress (Sundress Publications,
2014). Her awards include
fellowships from Yaddo, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, and the Hawthornden
Castle International Retreat for Writers, as well as grants from the Kittredge
Fund and the Elizabeth George Foundation.
She is currently working toward a Ph.D. in Poetics at SUNY Buffalo.
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