Confession

As I listen to episodes of Rachel Zucker's wonderful Commonplace: Conversations with Poets (and Other People) podcast, I find myself thinking about what separates me from where I am now in my writing and where some of her guests are. Okay, of course, it's a long list - but to simplify, I think it's a combination of talent, thoughtfulness and - most significantly - time to develop both of those things.

This extended shelter-in-place order has given me time. Long stretches of quiet time during which I need not speak to anyone. I can think. I can ponder, chase a thought down or develop an idea. I'm mixing metaphors, here, and demonstrating my clumsy use of language not so much to prove the point that I need more time, but because I believe that becoming someone with something worth hearing requires honest exploration along the way. It's helpful for me, even if it's painful or tedious for my tiny anonymous audience. Thank you for your time. 

And if you haven't yet listened to one of Zucker's podcasts, check out the long list of episodes and her guests. I've been working my way from #1 (David Trinidad) and am about to reach #38 (Sharon Olds). But I also just skipped to start to hear her latest episode, recorded during the pandemic, #84 (M. NourbeSe Philip). Good stuff.