Road Trip--Eamonn Wall

A thread that runs through each of the interviews, of course, concerns the writer's roots: Shelly and Marge in a rural setting mostly in Nebraska (as I recall); Kloefkorn in bad farmland Kansas; Don Welch in rural Nebraska, and Eamonn in Ireland.

You, thanks to You Tube, can hear Eamonn read--a bit hard to discern, perhaps, but you can catch his obvious accent.

As you read the interview, pay attention to how Eamonn describes his native home and what continues to influence him in Ireland, from the landscape to religion, from family to history.

The poems at the conclusion to the section also reveal the influence of American music, especially Bob Dylan, and authors such as John Steinbeck and Jack Kerouac.

Eamonn certainly offers a wonderful mixture of influences that give his poetry a special appeal. He, too, draws on the hidden head.

Pay particular attention to Eamonn's discussion of the role of writing. He says, for example, that in Ireland a writer "still as a certain status" (172). What might he mean by that statement in contrast to the situation he argues that obtains here in the United States? What do you find ironic about his claim that America has produced the greatest poetry of the 20th Century given what he says about the status of poetry in the country?

Does what Eamonn write, for example, contrast with what Don Welch says about most contemporary American poetry?

His thoughts about the role of the poet are of interest. He quotes Seamus Heaney (Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995): "But what Heaney has said is that poetry can't become propaganda" (172). He approves, on the other hand, of what U2 writes and sings.

And in light of the world's present state, from wars to pollution, his words carry weight and suggest why you should relate your thoughts, for the poet is the one who takes time to make the inner journey:

"What poetry does is to put into words things that would otherwise be lost. It's a kind of duty to record what happened but I'm not certain it will be recorded, because American poets seem to shy away from these issues." (173)

Again look at what Don has to say (41), where he also talks about Seamus Heaney.

As the various interviews suggest, each poet has an individual identity; on the other hand, certain qualities unite all of them. And one of these qualities concerns the importance of writing and of finding time to write.

Eamonn provides, I think, some excellent advice about writing, and not just that he draws on his own experience in the broadest terms. To write, you must find time or make time to write.

Consider what he says, for example, about the need to write: "I have tried to make writing part of my family life. That's my way of organizing things" (174). Coming from a family of eight kids taught him well how to multi task!

But his point concerns your becoming attuned to your writing. Try to make writing part of your life, just as you draw on your experience to inspire your writing.

Aim to make writing a natural part of your day-to-day life. Avoid, in other words, the idea that to write you have to get away.

Instead, you want to get to, to arrive.

What Bill Kloefkorn, Don Welch, and Eamonn Wall have to say about teaching is of special interest, of course, to me.

Teaching creative writing remains a great pleasure and a joyful challenge. And I like to work with youngsters, as in elementary school children, such as those I met in Beatrice and in Auburn, as well--and last summer across the street from my home in Ripon, WI.

In many respects, writing requires that you make an inward journey back, which brings you forward.

When asked about the poems he enjoys in class, Eamonn includes Seamus Heaney's poem, "Digging." After reading what Eamonn has to say, read the poem.

That idea of finding the Hidden Head, of the journey within, finds reference in the father's digging and the poet's pen:

He straightened up
To drink [the milk], then fell to right away nicking and slicing neatly, heaving sods Over his shoulder, digging down and down
For the good turf. Digging.

Yes, one must work to discover a good idea.

Learn, too, from Eamonn Wall's optimism and enjoy his rich poetry.

And junk food.

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Last Modified: 08/28/2011