For those of you who might care, I’m featured in an interview in Middle Gray.
Originally posted in December 2013. Circumstances have changed a bit – I have more time to write these days, but somehow manage to constantly run behind…
O at the Edges
Musings on poetry, language, perception, numbers, food, and anything else that slips through the cracks.
O at the Edges 
Great post Robert. Loved it so much !! 👍😊
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Thank you!
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You are welcome 😊
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Never enough time! A poet’s work is ever chasing (with occasional naps, of course).
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That certainly describes me.
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Great interview, Robert. Congratulations, mate 🙂
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Thanks, Ryan!
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What an impressive interview, the depth of where your writings come from, is mind boggling for me. Congratulations, you really are amazing.
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Ha! A few months before this interview, I was asked some insightful questions about my writing by the poetry editor of another publication. Prior to that, I hadn’t thought much about why or how my poems came to be – they just did. But in order to answer her questions, I was forced to think (something I usually avoid), and subsequently spent a good deal of time mulling it over. The truth is my writing comes from what I don’t know, or rather from the exploration of what I don’t know. So I’m never lacking for material!
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haha, I don’t know how to answer that.
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Our world is infinitely fascinating, Ivor. We simply have to open our eyes and minds.
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I don’t think we will every outrun time.
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No, but I’d like to try to keep pace (he says as he falls further behind)…
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Bob, that was a very illuminating interview. I, too, am as interested in the empty gaps that hang in between incongruities which was what made your poetry so appealing to me. And that’s a rather lovely bookshelf you’ve got there! Eh…the curse of years of undirected reading…! A very understandable curse, I must say 😵🙃
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Those gaps lead to questions which send me down paths leading to more questions. It’s never-ending!
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Indeed!
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good
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Thank you!
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“I’ve found that this self-imposed constriction offers me greater freedom” – I’ve long been keen on this fact of limitation in art. It’s wide open, you can do anything, but you cannot in fact do everything. Great interview, thanks for sharing these thoughts.
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I don’t use prompts in my daily writing, but when I’m offered them, rarely have problems with their restrictive natures. Eliminating the rest of the world, so to speak, eases the way. At least that’s how I see it. 🙂
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Read the interview you did and I feel the same about writing in general whether it’s my posts on the blog or romance writing. The questions are certainly never ending and sometimes I wish they weren’t there.
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I would be lost without them, but I know what you mean!
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Great interview !
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Thank you!
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My pleasure 😊
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I had no idea you have a degree in history. I wouldn’t have guessed that. Wonderful interview!
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I started school on one path, and ended on another. I never wanted to be an English major because, you know, you had to write papers! Ha! I didn’t find poetry until my last year, and at that point wanted to be done with achool. I do wish I’d taken courses on modern poetry, criticism, etc. Maybe someday!
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You can still do that–in person or online. As a writer, you must like the concise nature of poetry since you didn’t want to write paper ;)!
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I didn’t realize that I actually enjoyed writing papers until I was nearly graduated. Ha! And yes, I’ve been contemplating auditing some classes, perhaps when I retire for good.
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I don’t know who in their right (or wrong) mind would want to write those horrible 5 paragraph essay things. Thank goodness I never had to do that!That probably turns away a lot of creatives.
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I was a lazy, indifferent student until I dropped out and spent time in the Navy. When I returned to school, it seemed much more enticing.
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It’s amazing how we change about some things over time and experience.
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So true.
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I love your work, keep going.
On Fri, Aug 18, 2017 at 1:36 PM, O at the Edges wrote:
> robert okaji posted: “For those of you who might care, I’m featured in an > interview in Middle Gray. Originally posted in December 2013. Circumstances > have changed a bit – I have more time to write these days, but somehow > manage to constantly run behind…” >
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Thank you, Jemi. I don’t seem to have much choice but to keep on. 🙂
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I enjoyed looking through that window, Bob.
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The ritual, too, is all important for me – butt in chair, with the intention of writing. Every day, if at all possible. It keeps me going.
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Your interview was very inspiring! I love how you described what influences you & how it can “arrive from unexpected sources”.
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Glad you enjoyed it. Anything can act as a launching point for a poem, and frequently does. 🙂
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