Poets Are Not Useful

On the Ninth Anniversary of the Great Levee Failure of 2005 in New Orleans, Gwyndyn Alexander released her first collection of poetry in over a decade. Since its publication, people ranging from feminist activists to best-selling authors such as Judith Tarr and Andrew Vachss have given her book very high praise.

"These poems pierce the heart and twist the knife. Visceral and dark and beautiful." - Judith Tarr, author of Alamut

Who says poetry must be racked with "fiction?" Truth etched on crystal with an acid-dipped stylus, this one will make you question the Dewey Decimal System." - Andrew Vachss

Reviews from readers:

"Poetry is difficult to review because the reasons a particular poem or poet resonates is so personal and subjective. This collection, however, is extraordinary in so many ways that it is worth trying.This is a moving, raw and beautiful collection, starting from the very first poem, which is a powerful manifesto for women poets. As the poems continue, Alexander uses a variety of metaphors (poet as Martin Luther, poet as Snow White, poet as atom bomb, etc.) but throughout the author’s powerful voice shines through.The themes of abuse, addiction, hurt, healing and lost love are emotional ones that are dealt with beautifully and with grace. Many of the poems are, to me, reminiscent of the work of Adrienne Rich and Marge Piercy, in particular those that advocate for the unique voices and unique experiences of women in poetry. This is a spectacular collection and I would urge even those who don’t think they like poetry to give it a try…there is much here to inspire, move, and astound."

"Poetry is such a powerful form of writing, that I actually avoid it frequently. A poem can get inside you like nothing else can. A song can do it; a painting can do it; all art can--but poetry is so potent because it uses only one single element--words--no music or visuals. A poem must be precise and sharp, and things that are precise and sharp are dangerous. Poems and poets are useful, but are also feared because a poet can cut right into the heart of a person and fill them with fear, longing, beauty, love, loneliness and empathy. Having one's heart cut open by a poem can be a frightening thing. It is not for the faint of heart, or I should say, the faint of heart should read poetry so that they might become courageous and might look upon things unflinchingly and teach their faint hearts not to cower in fear. A poem is a 100 proof shot of whiskey that will steady your nerves and let you face your own fears and allow you to understand the fears of others. It will allow you to stand in their shoes and see from behind their eyes. All true art aspires to this, but not all art achieves it. This collection of poetry achieves it."

"I'm moved by this book. Gwyndyn T. Alexander is more than just a poet, she's a story teller. Each poem in Poets Are Not Useful is like a secret she's sometimes whispering and other times screaming into my ear. She let me into her life, scabs and all. This book paints a picture that's sometimes painful and uncomfortable, other times strong and hopeful, but it's always honest and relatable. Each poem is an individual piece of art with common threads that cohesively bind them together to form an awe inspiring piece of work."

The following is an excerpt from an interview at the release of Poets Are Not Useful:

What inspired you to write Poets Are Not Useful?

I had a very abusive childhood, 18 years worth of awfulness. It's never easy recovering from that sort of thing. These poems were very therapeutic for me. It really helped to tell my story, my way...to get that anger and grief out and on the page. My hope is that other survivors of abuse will read it and realize that they're not alone, that they can survive and thrive and transmute their pain into something positive.

That's also why I'm donating 10% of all proceeds from the book to http://protect.org. They are a wonderful group fighting for the rights of children, and fighting for justice against the abusers.

How long did it take you to write this book?

This book has been 20 years in the making. A year ago, I shared my poetry on Andrew Vachss' Facebook. He told me that it was criminal that such powerful, important work was out of print. He said that my voice needed to be heard.

So, I buckled down and got to work, revising old unpublished poems and writing new ones. I think it's a good collection.

What books and authors have most influenced you?

Andrew Vachss, definitely. His Burke novels introduced me to Protect.org, and were instrumental in helping me internalize the truth that what had happened to me was not in any way my fault.

Judith Tarr has also been a huge influence. I sent her an advance copy of Poets Are Not Useful, as a thank you for all of the hours of pleasure her books have given me over the years. Luckily, she liked it. :)

In fact, she gave me a blurb for the back cover: “These poems pierce the heart and twist the knife. Visceral, dark, and beautiful.”

If you were to write in a different genre, what it would be?

I would love to be able to write novels, science fiction would be great. Unfortunately, my mind seems geared towards poetry. Maybe someday, I'll discover I can write actual plots and characters...anything's possible in an ever-expanding universe.

Gwyndyn Alexander

Do you have current work in progress?

 
I've just started work on a collection of poems about New Orleans. I lived there for over a decade, until the Great Levee Failure of 05. I lost my house and my business, and was forced into exile here in Austin. 

 

Don't get me wrong, Austin is a great town, but there's no place like home. I just need to find some ruby slippers....

Where readers can find your latest achievements?

The book has its own Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/poetsarenotuseful

I'm Gwyndyn Alexander on Facebook, if anyone wants to say 'hi': https://www.facebook.com/idiomagic

And over at Twitter I'm @GwynTAlexander

The book, Poets Are Not Useful, is available in both physical and digital formats over at Amazon and Kobo Books.