diVERSES reKINDLED: In Conversation With Diane Callahan

What separates a second draft from a first is intention.

Writing a poem is navigating a room you have never been before in the dark, the pen a tiny flashlight in your hand.

To edit a poem is to find a light switch.

I have certainly met poets who do little editing before they've moved on to the next piece. However, when it comes to top tier journals, the pieces I edited most were the ones that were published most easily.

When shooting an episode of the Listening Room, a poetry reality show, guest Diane Callahan explained how a poem she wrote originally had a dead fly, but she changed it on the edit to better fit thematically.

A move like that is difficult on a first edit—without really knowing what a poem is about, it is hard to know what tension to amplify, what part of the environment to add or push further, what description to remove or change.

The sooner I realize the poem is about a relationship, or is centered on loneliness, or is starting to sound like a page from an encyclopedia, the sooner I can start not only making sure my other choices in the poem match. I can actually push the concepts farther. It also helps me avoid clichè, in favor of using the fresher word, the unexpected, the word that fits more thematically.

If I know a poem is about nervousness before a race, I can think of nature images that show the anxiety. I can focus on adding animals or sounds associated with speed. I can add metaphors that suggest an object is moving fast.

But if I don't know what my poem is about, I can't expect all of its word choices, themes, and figurative language to be in alignment.

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Full conversation with poet Diane Callahan curated by poet Geoff Anderson: https://youtu.be/36Lb_pVWPvg