Book Interview: Howard Young on 'To Know the Way Back'
Howard Young is a poet and artist from East Sussex, who lives in a small house near the sea with his wife, children and too many typewriters. He loves walking, art, poetry, films, music, novels, the sea, Ancient Greece, existentialism, our old apple tree, the countryside and cricket. His newest poetry collection ‘To Know the Way Back’ is the latest addition to our book family.
Can you tell us a bit about the book you just published with Sunday Mornings at the River?
It is a book of poetry written over the last two or so years. I think the following describes it best: There are ideas in Buddhism that the phenomena we see, and that which underlies it (unseen but still in existence) are the same thing. We can perceive the toaster is hot, but not the electricity that is heating it, yet they are both there. So, the blossom and all that feeds and creates it are the same thing. The Dragonfly and its prey are not subject and object, but one. For me, poetry seems the ideal way to investigate this, for the poem and the idea are inseparable. In this lies the truth. The blossom is always there, waiting. It will appear to come and go, but life and death can be smoke and mirrors, we know this every spring and every autumn. As Persephone must rise from the underworld, so she will always have to return. The wheel is always in spin.
Not every poem in this collection directly embodies these ideas, but this concept has often been in the back of my mind while writing them. I like to think that no matter how straightforward the poems may sometimes appear, they do have some additional layers of meaning for the reader to discover if they want to. It is, after all, the viewer who completes the work of art.
What inspired you to write this book?
I was asked by the editor to submit something if I wanted to, and I loved the publishing house and all it stands for, so I decided to take up the offer. I was already published in one of their quarterlies before that.
What does the title mean, and why did you pick it?
The title comes from a poem I wrote in lockdown, in which the mosaic patterns on my very old apple tree and the tale of Theseus and Ariadne became intertwined. I thought it stood for everything. We are all trying to get back to what we know and believe in right now, far away from the death, destruction and mad appetites of the Minotaurs devouring our world.
Who are some of your literary or artistic crushes, and did they influence you at all while writing this book?
My literary influences are many, Albert Camus, Simone de-Beauvoir, Orwell, as well as Blake, Kerouac, the Beats, and Japanese poetry. ‘The Outsider’ by Albert Camus is the first book that made me cry. It made me wake up, as if out of a dream. In terms of art, I love Miro, Klee and Agnes Martin among others. I think the main influences on my poetry are from America and Japan.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?
How scary it is when you realize you have to commit words to print en-masse and with your name on the title page. I still think it’s all a dream. I also found it very hard to choose poems, those I liked one day, I was unsure of the next.
Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?
Anyone can write if they really want to. It is about commitment, authenticity and truth. The rest just comes. Some emotions can be very disabling, actually.
Do you take poetry classes or read books on poetry?
I never take classes, Ted Berrigan said that ‘all they can really do is get to write your own poems how they would want you to write them, not how you see it’. I have no interest in that. I have read many poetry books though, as well as many novels. Just write and see what happens.
Do your family and "real-life" friends read your work?
Sometimes when it is published or on Instagram. My wife gets the first look when they are finished. Never get advice until you are least happy with it yourself.
What does "good poetry" mean to you?
Nothing, all poetry is good if you like it. People laugh at Rupi Kaur and say her poems are no good, and yet they are read by many people, and she makes her money out of poetry. The people who often sneer at her are literary professionals and academics who make money out of teaching because only their friends and pupils ever get to read their work. Kaur’s work is not my thing at all, but at least she is a true poet who lives by her words. Just like the many typewriter poets in the US and elsewhere, as well as poetry on Instagram, the work is read by ordinary people, not just students of poetry in educational institutions or posh poetry magazines. I want all sorts of people to read and enjoy my work if possible.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Get on with it, listen to your own heart and stick to your guns!
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
I bought my Empire Aristocrat (Hermes baby copy) super-portable typewriter and that seems to have set me free. The rhythm of the keys, no updates, no interruptions, I never looked back.
HOWARD YOUNG is a poet and artist from East Sussex, who lives in a small house near the sea with his wife, children and too many typewriters. He loves walking, art, poetry, films, music, novels, the sea, Ancient Greece, existentialism, our old apple tree, the countryside and cricket. His debut poetry collection ‘To Know the Way Back’ is available here.