… it is the job of the poet to focus on objects rather than on abstract concepts such as truth, beauty, grief …
Writing helps author and writing coach, Katherine Lawrence, understand what’s going on in her world. Her poetry collections include Black Umbrella, a poetic memoir, and Stay, a middle-grade novel in verse. Her writing focuses on the family – families that work and families that break down.
Lyndi: The metaphor of a black of umbrella becomes the title of your memoir? How do use original metaphors to express your ideas?
Katherine: It was American poet Williams Carlos Williams (1883-1963) who wrote, “No ideas but in things.” What he meant was that it is the job of the poet to focus on objects rather than on abstract concepts such as truth, beauty, grief etc. This is because the mention of an object, such as a black umbrella, creates a visual idea in the mind of the reader. We hold the image in mind as we read. Abstract words don’t convey images. Only “things” create visual, tangible images. The image then creates an idea of what the thing means in context.
My title poem, “Black Umbrella” reads: Now you’re gone I can’t stop the rain in my dreams/now you’re gone it rains and rains.
This brief poem in grounded by specific images that are held together by a title that signals grief and mourning without ever using these abstract concepts. To your question, How do I use original metaphors to express my ideas? I reach for the specific and I avoid abstract generalizations.
My middle-grade novel-in-verse, Stay, leans on the teachings of Williams in the same way.
Lyndi: Your poems share stories with characters, their desires and dialogue. How does telling stories in verse differ from prose?
Katherine: Every poet is different, of course, and my work tends to reach for narrative rather than lyric. I like the compression that is demanded of poetry. I like to observe the beats and rhythms of language to drive the narrative and give it energy. All my books can be read like novels. I think the key difference for me is that I focus on images rather than description. I bring characters into my poetry and I track their stories.
Lyndi: You’ve mentioned that “grief and loss permeate every divorce narrative regardless of the age of the players.” What are some of the ways this plays out in your writing?
Katherine: In Stay, the main character is Millie. She’s almost 12 years old when the story opens and she’s full of sadness. Her family is breaking up, but she doesn’t understand what’s going on. She’s in conflict because she wants her father to stay and not move out. She also wants to adopt a dog but her dream is threatened by the pending split. She can’t have a dog if she moves back and forth every week between Mom’s house and Dad’s apartment. Millie is on the edge of losing the stability of her foundational family but no adolescent possesses this kind of language. The story takes the reader through Millie’s gradual acceptance of the situation, a situation that requires her to mature and change.
Research shows that children, regardless of age (young kids, teens, adult children of divorce) forever carry the grief of this profound loss – the breakup of their family. This is what I explore in all my work, from multiple vantage points because contrary to popular myth, children do not “grow up and get over it.” Children are resilient, yes, but the impact of divorce must, I believe, continue to be discussed and explored.
Lyndi: Tell us about the poems in Stay. How do you link these poems told in multiple points of view?
Katherine: I wrote the story in chronological order. First this happens, then that happens. Each poem can be read as a chapter in a novel. Each poem is complete yet it also reaches for the next event because a story is being told and the story is headed towards a climax and a resolution. The story belongs to the main character, Millie, just as a novel has a protagonist in whose outcome we’re interested in. And like a good novel, Millie has to undergo change and deal with conflict, otherwise we don’t have a story!
Lyndi: What motivates you to tell a story and how do you go about it?
Katherine: This is a tough question and the best way for me to answer it is to say that I sit with a feeling best described as troubling. I feel unsettled, disturbed, troubled, and then curious. Eventually I turn to my journal and my computer and begin to explore.
Lyndi: Have you found any particular method of marketing effective in selling your books.
Katherine: Conversations like this one are much appreciated and helpful. Thank you! I think the best method is to attend festivals and do readings. Meet old and new readers, send the work out in the world where it belongs.
Saskatoon writer Katherine Lawrence has published five poetry collections and the award-winning novel-in-verse, Stay. Her work has been published across the country and has been longlisted twice for the CBC Literary Awards. Originally from Hamilton, Katherine has lived on the prairies for over 35 years. She is a former writer-in-residence for the Saskatoon Public Library and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Saskatchewan. You can find her online at www.katherinelawrence.net
