What are your thoughts about reading your poetry in Cobourg at the POW! Festival?

I am thrilled to be reading for my home town audience at this special little festival.

Please tell us about your most recently published book and also a little about any other books you've had that "saw print."

My latest book Dark Star Requiem will be published in late May this year. It's a collection of about 40 poems from the Dark Star Requiem oratorio which will be opening the Luminato Festival in Toronto, June 11 & 12. The book is being published by Folded & Gathered Press - a new fine art publisher in Toronto. Not only will the run be trade paperback but there will also be a handcrafted, limited edition, beautiful, boxed set containing extras like a limited edition print made especially for the project by visual artist Micah Lexier. My other books, Hard Candy and Ashes are Bone and Dust will be available for purchase at the festival.

At POW!, do you plan to read pieces from your book (or books)?
Do you plan to read new, unpublished work?

I'm planning to read a cross section of work, old and new.

How would you describe your poetry?

Compelling, visual, dark and sometimes ironic, perhaps even a few funny poems thrown in for good measure

When did you start writing poetry and what prompted it?

I started writing poetry seriously in the mid 90s when I was in Los Angeles. I had just finished working on a film (as my day job) and decided to take a couple of months out to concentrate on writing poems. I had a little hand made Japanese style chap book with not very good poems. The LA poetry scene was exploding to the point where you could read at several venues each night of the week if you wanted to. I took the stage at Beyond Baroque in Venice Beach and everyone loved the poems - so that's what encouraged me to begin seriously. Every day I wrote for about 5 hours and then in the evening would take the poems to an open mic.

What inspires you to put pen to paper / fingers to keyboard?

Pretty much everything. But the house has to be clean and tidy, chores done, so there are no disctractions

Can you describe (a little) your writing process in creating a new poem?

I write a first draft which I edit by reading aloud to see if the language sounds correct and is impactful. Then after several more edits I present it to an audience. It's then I can see if the piece works or not.

The POW! Festival is built on the notion that poetry should not be relegated to an existence as "a niche art form" that the average person doesn't care about.
How do you respond to that?

Average people do care once they hear the diversity of poetry and find a form that speaks to them. Too many academic poets think poetry belongs only to them and that their audience should reflect their 'super-smartness'. I have always believed that poetry is entertainment and is there for everyone to experience.

For the first time this year, POW! includes poetry writing / performing workshops. What are your thoughts about facilitating a POW! Festival workshop?

Fabulous. I always like to foist my ideas on unsuspecting audiences. Plus I have a sadistic side.....