A Cup of Coffee with Jude Read
Like any 8-year-old seeing the Spiderwick Chronicles for the first time, Jude Raed decided that creating stories is what matters most to her, and that is what she’s decided to do ever since. She loves sci-fi movies, poetry and cats. She loves poetry written about cats. Sunday Mornings at the River’s Summer 2021 Anthology is her first published work.
What inspires you to write?
Everything, all at once. People that I know, people I want to meet, time travel theories, my friends, my mother, hardships, home, language: the way it sounds, the way it’s written, how the words I write in differ so much from my mother tongue and yet find their way down my fingers and unto a page. That sweet, sweet (s)urge of belongingness.
What are you currently reading?
Dune by Frank Herbert and the book of disquiet by Fernando Pessoa. Both are fantastic reads.
What are you working on next/what was your last project?
I tend to work on more than one project at the same time. I jump through them until I get hyper fixated on one. I get bored easily, so it depends on how much I'm invested. You have got to love the ADHD brain. And after that, I repeat the process all over again.
I am currently working on a poetry visual diary, accompanied by audio that acts as a guide for the flip through. No idea where it's taking me, but I guess I'll find out in the end.
Tag three of your favourite IG poets we should read:
@k.r.wasteland
@stigmatasis
@mosscoveredcheeks
What are some common themes you see in your own work?
Friendship, connections (intact or severed), nostalgia, dreams. Hope, I have a lot of hope.
Do you feel that sharing your poetry is a vulnerable process?
Definitely. Every word written on the page is an act of sacrifice, to the reader by the writer, and by the reader to themselves: by opening up and accepting what it is the author wants to share.
But perhaps what eases the doubt and the self-consciousness is when the readers reach out, and you get to see the different interpretations of your work and the surge of emotions it inspires. It is totally worth the vulnerability.
How many unfinished or unpublished books do you have?
I have two finished poetry collections, one of them being a try at typewriter art-Neither are published yet. One science-fiction book that hasn’t seen the light since I last saw the light. Pandemic life, eh?
How do you beat writer's block?
I don't think anyone can give you a direct answer to that, we all deal with this differently, but what I learned is that allowing yourself to be inspired by what you see during this block does wonders to what you create.
Also, write even if you don't feel like writing. Write even if you're writing things you've already finished. You might add to them, or be inspired by your own words. Share your work and accept healthy criticism. Write about that criticism. Write every day, even if you think you suck- until you don't.
What is the first book that made you cry?
The Boy with the Thorn in his Side, by Pete Wentz. The imagery, the pain, the amalgamation of poetry/song lyrics style of writing. Extremely genuine. And so freaking cool.
Who are some of your literary or artistic crushes or influences?
To name a few: Etel Adnan, Shane Koyczan, Patrick Rothfuss, Gerard Way, Patrick Ness, Whitman, E.E. Cummings, Yeats, and Madeline Miller.
Do family and "real life" friends read your work?
Yes! I am lucky enough to have family and friends that read my work and encourage me to share it. To F and Y, forever in debt to you.
What does "good poetry" mean to you?
Anything and everything that leaves a Ring in my ears- the ebb and flow of the words follow me around until I cave in and read the work, again and again, till it becomes almost carved in.