An Interview With Author Holly Schindler

Author Holly Schindler has written a collection of love poems titled TANGLES. I reviewed the book on the post below this one.

To contact Holly Schindler:

HollySchindler.com

Twitter: @holly_schindler

Facebook: facebook.com/HollySchindlerAuthor









Interview:

1.      

    You write different genres of books, what made you interested in writing a poetry book?

I’ve actually been writing poetry for years. I even published a few poems in some lit mags when I was in college. In high school, I also kept a bunch of journals—instead of writing prose entries describing what had happened to me that day, I wrote poems. Most have dates rather than titles. They turned out to be incredibly valuable when I started writing YA. Those poems really helped me reconnect with my teen voice and with the way it felt to be a teen. A few of the poems even found their way into my first published book, A BLUE SO DARK!

I’ve also written songs, ever since a member of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils taught me the basics of guitar playing and songwriting. I’ve always loved the storytelling capabilities and the emotional punch of song lyrics.

I was also always a big poetry reader. In high school, I discovered some of Rod McKuen’s old books—I was totally fascinated by him—the straightforward poetry writing style and the utterly amazing popularity of his stuff (McKuen was a songwriter, too). In the ‘60s and ‘70s, he was a real rock star. But when he stepped away from the spotlight, he almost immediately fell into total obscurity. His work was often regarded by critics as “simplistic,” but so have some of the Instagram poets who have recently become popular as well. Honestly, I never understood the “simplistic” dismissal. Really, what could be simpler than “It takes a heap of living in a house to make a home”? And yet, it’s a line that sticks—you remember it. It makes that emotional punch I mentioned earlier. Frankly, you could dismiss most of the poems in novels in verse as “simplistic,” too, but so many people go crazy for novels in verse, I believe, because the poems read fluidly, easily, and they focus primarily on the emotional portion of a story—the internal portion, rather than external stuff. Poetry (especially simpler, straightforward poetry) allows the reader to get straight to the heart of a story without having to sift through paragraphs and pages of description.

Anyway, I was thinking about the Instagram poets, the popularity of novels in verse, and it made me believe that it was time for me to release my own collection. It sent me sifting through the journals and notebooks of poems and lyrics I’d been writing for so long. I aimed to put together a collection that was truly easy to read and enjoy, full of heart and emotionality. No head-scratchers allowed!

That's what I appreciated the most! No "head-scratchers allowed!" 

2.      In my review I said, "I felt like the author was bearing her soul in some of the poems." Was this set of poems cathartic for you in some way?

In a way, it really was. Those poems covered quite a long span of time—different periods of life, different situations. One of my favorite parts of the collection is the way it ages. “From Strawberries to Gin,” which is included toward the beginning of the collection, is about a young girl who’s out with a slightly older man, a girl who feels incredibly childlike and aches to become more womanly. Toward the end, “Approaching Autumn” is about a woman who hopes that love stories that take place in the autumn of life are actually hotter than the youthful summer romances. In a way, this collection grows up in a short span of pages.

3.      As I read your poems I found several that were favorites. Do you have a favorite in this set?

I like “Blushing Crimson” quite a lot. It has a feel that’s a bit like some of the steamier scenes in my YA romance PLAYING HURT.

4.      TANGLES is a collection of love poems, do you have plans for future poetry books, and if so what would you like them to consist of?

I’d really love to do some additional collections. I’m always writing new snatches of poetry. I’m not sure what the connecting thread would be yet—I’ve got a ton of ideas, and am still working on narrowing them down!

For those who’d like to follow along with my poetry writing, I’m devoting my Tumblr account to all things poetry: hollyschindler.tumblr.com Also, readers can subscribe to my poetry newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dmExEH

I enjoyed interviewing Holly, and I definitely enjoyed TANGLES. It is currently available on Amazon for Kindle for .99: https://www.amazon.com/Tangles-Poems-Holly-Schindler-ebook/dp/B07BBSBT5X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523212749&sr=1-1&keywords=tangles+by+holly+schindler or you can purchase it in paperback for $7.50. Both great deals!