The Sunday Roast

It's All About Rhyme And Reason

This week's interview is with Doris,
who writes the blog Get Thee To A Poet.

The first of the standard questions. Why do you blog?

I blog because I must! For years I’ve been writing in all sorts of venues, and for a while I had a website called AngryGrrl.com that contained a lot of my book and movie reviews, humor, poetry, and opinion pieces. After awhile, I outgrew that site and began looking around for a new outlet. When I began reading trade blogs (I’m a technical communicator), it led me to forming my own blog. Now that I’ve been at it nearly a year, I’ve fallen in love with it. Hence, I blog because I must.

What's the story behind your blog name?

When I first started the blog, I was heavily involved in the poetry reading series at my alma mater. I still work with them because it’s great fun and gives me a live outlet for my poetry. Naturally I started considering names that had to do with poetry: Poetic Justice (but I thought that would sound too law-oriented), Poeticism, etc. Poetic License seemed appropriate because it refers to the poet’s right to ignore standard rules of grammar in order to achieve the desired effect of the work. This can include arranging the words in such a way as to communicate visually (i.e., picture poetry). Poetic license, by definition, is an extension of artistic license, which Wikipedia summarizes as follows:

* Entirely at the artist's discretion
* Intended to be tolerated by the viewer (that is, "willing suspension of disbelief")
* Neither "good" nor "bad"
* Useful for filling in gaps, whether they be factual, compositional, historical or other gaps
* Used consciously or unconsciously, intentionally or unintentionally or in tandem

I think that pretty much sums up my blog!

What is the best thing about being a blogger?

Undoubtedly, the best thing about being a blogger is the other bloggers! I have met some amazing people (like you!) all over the world. Reading the thoughts and intimate feelings of other people who feel free to express themselves in ways that they might not otherwise do in “real life” is such a privilege. There are many inspiring stories out there that just make me want to be a better person. (I hope that some of my posts do that for others).

Additionally, there are some amazing photo-bloggers who never cease to delight me with their perspective on the world, and the humor bloggers (especially sites like XKCD.com, a web comic blog) tickle my funny-bone on a regular basis. I might not have otherwise discovered all of these wonderful sites without diving into blogging myself.

What key advice would you give to a newbie blogger?

I would say that you need to be patient, write as often as you can, and be real. Read other blogs every day, not only to make friends and gain readers but also to learn what works and what doesn’t. You will quickly find that you can see right through a blogger who is being imitative or less than genuine. By studying other blogs, you’ll gradually find your own groove and your own style, and then, like me, you’ll be reading dozens of blogs a day and wondering where all of your free time went!

What is the most significant blog post you've ever read?

The first time I read "In the Life of a Child", it was this post Lullaby And Goodnight. Before I had finished reading it, I was in tears. Though my children are both adults, I found myself wanting to hold each of them and say a prayer of gratitude that neither of them had been struck with something as devastating as CVS.

Reading M’s blog will change the way you think about your own children forever. She does some amazing work for other parents in similar circumstances, too. She’s a very giving woman who has a beautiful way of expressing the fears and challenges associated with parenting a special needs child. (P.S. - If you want an example of keeping it real in your blog? Read this one on a regular basis).

What is the most significant blog post you've ever written?

I was surprised at the responses I got from my "This Used to be My Beach" five-part series in which I talked about how I became homeless and what life was like without the creature comforts we all take for granted. While it was difficult for me to get around to finally talking about that period in my life (when I was about my son’s age), it was cathartic to do so. You can find the first entry at This Used To Be My Beach.

Thanks for interviewing me, David. Your blog was one of the first I came across during my first months as a blogger, and it has been a constant source of great reads (through your Post of the Day entries) ever since.


Today's Sunday Roast with Doris is the 53nd in a weekly series of interviews with bloggers from around the world.