I am happy to have Ben Nardolilli on the blog with me to talk about his recent contributions to Empirical's first poetry anthology, Latitude on 2nd. Let's hear what he had to say.
Me: Tell us about your current releases in the anthology.
Ben: I
have two poems in the anthology, they are titled: “The Brains Behind” and
“Harsh Emphasis.” Harsh Emphasis is an experimental work where I cut up a poem
and rearranged lines before editing them to make sense and a new poem. A prize
to whoever can figure out the source. The other poem? It came from somewhere in
my life. I can’t recall where.
Me: Tell
us about some of your other releases.
Ben: It’s
been out a while, but I have a chapbook for sale at: http://www.amazon.com/Common-Symptoms-Enduring-Explained-ebook/dp/B006QZQXD6
Me: What
books are you reading now?
Ben: Just
finished the Collected Poems of Ted Berrigan. Despite its daunting size, I
recommend it. Now I am reading Autumn of the Patriarch by Marquez.
Me: What
music inspires you to write?
Ben: John
Fahey, Bob Dylan, Philip Glass, Of Montreal, Velvet Underground
Me: Favorite
authors/poets?
Ben: Pound,
Eliot, John Berryman, Stevens, Ted Berrigan, Ginsberg, Kerouac, Hemingway,
Joyce, Tolstoy, Fitzgerald, Crane, Salinger, Flannery O’Connor
Me: Favorite
books?
Ben: Things
by the people listed above
Me: Favorite
TV shows?
Ben: Dr.
Katz, The Critic, The Simpsons, Arrested Development, Seinfeld, Parks and
Recreation, Community, The Sopranos, Louie
Me: Favorite
movies?
Ben: The
Godfather, Koyaanisqatsi, Network, Manhattan, Amacord, Annie Hall, The Royal Tenenbaums,
Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry.
Me: At
what point in your life did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
Ben: In
the fourth grade we had a writing assignment to describe our Christmas morning.
I came in second in the class. It got me thinking. No idea if it had the same impact on the girl
who won.
Me: Tell
us about your writing process.
Ben: When
I have time, I start writing as soon as possible. I’m a morning person so if
I’m free, I begin after breakfast, or during. Each day I try to get in at least
a thousand words. Often, I type standing up with my laptop resting on top of a
set of drawers. Right now this is how I’m answering these questions.
Me: Are
the names of the characters in your novels important? How and why? Is the
specificity of punctuation and word choice important?
Ben: Before
I respond I should note that I have written several novels, though they are all
currently looking for a home with a publisher right now. The names of
characters in my novels are generally important and I try not to repeat first
names so I can keep the characters straight. It probably helps the reader, too.
The names I settle on are usually significant in two ways. First, the names may
reveal a trait or invite a comparison. The second is that they may reference
somebody I know. In
my poems I use punctuation as a cue for reading and reciting the work, like
musical notation. Word choice is dependent on maintaining a certain rhythm I
already have going.
Me: Do
you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Ben: If you like what you’ve been reading, visit my blog:
More about the author:
Bio: Born in 1985…live in Arlington, Virginia…attended
school at NYU…majored in history and slight knocks…trying to create my own
school of poetry “Adventism”…straddling the line between underemployed and
unemployed…cultivator of a fine mustache…voice of his generation?
Links:
http://idontwannabeamanchild.blogspot.com
Check out some other poets from Spring Poetry Anthology:
http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com/2012/03/interview-with-diane-jardel.html
Check out some other poets from Spring Poetry Anthology:
http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com/2012/03/interview-with-diane-jardel.html
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