Poet Jada Pierce joins Erin this month to talk about Between the Crackups, Rebecca Lehmann’s collection of poems from Salt Modern Poets series. Late Night Library’s episode about Between the Crackups hits February 29^th.

We were fortunate to catch up with Rebecca a few weeks ago for a quick Q&A. Read on and get ready for our discussion!



What was your favorite work of debut poetry or fiction in 2011? 
I enjoyed Nick Demske’s debut collection, which I think is called Nick Demske. It has a lot of energy. I saw him read in Minneapolis, and got the book shortly thereafter. I think it may have come out in 2010, but I got it in 2011.

What other writers influenced you, either in general or specifically in writing your collection? 
One of my earliest influences was Emily Dickinson. I fell in love with her work when I was a teenager, and still look to it for inspiration. I think her inventiveness with language was what drew me in.

Are there specific things you’re looking for when you pick up a new collection of poems? 
Mostly I look for something surprising. I want to feel delighted when I read a poem. Use of language is a big part of that. If a book has poems that use inventive language, I’m halfway there. I’m also drawn to the quirky, the unusual, as Hopkins wrote: “All things counter, original, spare, strange; / Whatever is fickle, freckled (Who knows how?).” On that note, I’d like to add Gerard Manley Hopkins to the list of writers who have influenced me. His poems fly off the page. I think that’s important.

We hope you’ll look for our Rebecca Lehmann podcast next week.

Yours,
Erin and Paul