Poet Interview: Anna K. Dalton
Anna K. Dalton is a mother, and teacher of all things atypical in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She spends her days helping others find their own inner voice on the yoga mat, or stretch their creative limbs at the pottery wheel, and in front of a sewing machine. Anna uses writing as a personal outlet; a small escape from the busyness of everyday life, and the inevitable chaos that comes from living with a six-year-old. This is her first published work.
When did you become a poet? How did you know it was the right medium for your stories?
Well, I’m not sure if I’d consider myself a poet, per se… I’ve written poetry since I was a teenager, but mostly for my own creative outlet rather than any other purpose. I’ve always been the type of person who experiences BIG emotions, and poetry gave me a way to take those things that seemed so massive and parse them down into something more manageable. Writing allowed me to get to the root of what I was feeling, name it, and articulate it in a way that felt tidy when everything else seemed like a mess.
What inspires you to write, and why?
Life! It’s the biggest inspiration. All of our lives are tumultuous in some way; the personal catharsis of dealing with that on the page is a quiet relief from a lot of that chaos. Finding a method to calm and organize my internal thoughts helps me to work through them in a way that is a positive outlet for me, and perhaps a relatable and soft landing for someone else.
What are you currently reading and is it a good read or not, why?
A History Of My Brief Body by Billie-Ray Belcourt. This book is an amazing and compelling read. At once both poetry and prose, this memoir delves into many facets of identity while growing up Indigenous in Canada, including gender norms, sexuality, familial relationships, and the ongoing effects of systemic racism in this country.
Do you feel that sharing your poetry is a vulnerable process, and why do you feel that way?
I feel that sharing my poetry is an incredibly vulnerable process. Continually plagued by imposter syndrome, I often worry that both the technical aspects of the poems, along with their content, are not at “that” level. A bit of a perfectionist, I often want everything to feel polished, and professional, and I forget that sometimes the raw emotion of poetry is what makes it beautiful.
Do you take poetry classes or read books on poetry, and why (not)?
I have taken a few poetry classes, both academic and recreational, and for the most point, I really enjoyed them. Being in a community of people who are all trying to figure out the process of writing, who feel intensely and want to communicate that, and who are all, on some level, nervous and willing to confront that vulnerability, is extremely inspiring. Writing poetry is often depicted as a very solitary and eccentric art form, and there is something to be said about learning to do it within a safe space of individuals who can help you to learn and grow in your process. In addition, the guidance of an experienced teacher can help propel you forward; it gives momentum to stepping out of your comfort zone.
Do family and "real life" friends read your work, and how does that make you feel?
I have a few trusted friends that I ask to read my work. I am nervous every single time. Poetry is very personal for me, and allowing someone to see that part of me is tantamount to standing in front of them, completely bare, and waiting for a response.
What does "good poetry" mean to you, and why?
This is a difficult question to answer because poetry, like all art, is so subjective. For me, “good poetry” is relatable; the author is able to evoke a feeling within the reader that they were not able to articulate themselves. Poetry is really about emotion for me; if a poem can tap into that, can really access something deeply, I never regret reading it.
What is your revision process like?
Once I’ve completed a poem, I like to reread it over a few days to really get the flow of it. I may go back and change or move lines around, play with wording, try to refine the ideas so that they are succinct but still relay what I am trying to say. While I write first drafts almost exclusively with pen and paper, I revise a lot on the screen so that I can play around with things more easily and cleanly. Once it is “done,” I might send it to a friend for reviews or suggestions, or sometimes I just decide that I am happy with what I’ve got and put it out into the world.
What is your writing process like?
I spend quite a bit of time writing poems in my head before I get them on paper. I may scribble a line or two, journal words and sentences around a specific theme or event, and write about one thing over and over for a few days. I continue to think about those things that I’ve written, pull out the ideas that I like the best, and begin to organize them in my brain. Then I sit down and write the first draft, sit with it, and decide whether to continue moving forward or to let it be. I usually write a mess a night and sleep on it; come morning I feel like I can see whether it is an idea worth honing. My process is slow, sometimes even stagnant, but I don’t mind.
How do you research for your poems?
Honestly, I don’t do a huge amount of research for my poems, as most of them are quite personal, but I think that reading and revisiting poetry of other authors is a great way of studying and learning about how to write. It is important to develop your own voice, but by reading, you can really begin to develop an understanding of how to allow that voice to be heard. That said, sometimes I will hear something in a song, podcast, or read something in the news, that inspires me to want to write. When that happens, I tend to start by delving deeper into the stories to see what part of it really resonates with me so that I can use it as a jumping off point.