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Interview by Andrew C. Angus
Interview Received : March 18, 2005, Fri
Interview Posted: March 31, 2005, Thurs
AA stands for Andrew Angus,
JWB stands for Jerry W. Bradford
JWB: No
2. AA: Is "Voices of the Heart" your first poetrybook?If No, what are the titles of your previous poetrybooks?
JWB: Yes
3. AA: At what age did you start composing poems?
JWB: 36 years old, almost 3 years ago.
AA: At what age did you start writing poems seriously?
JWB: 37 I was in the middle of a serious depression and I wrote poetry to help ease the emotions
4. AA: Who encouraged you to write poetry?
JWB: An ex girl-friend who is mother to my son Dylan,and my daughter Brandi who is featured in the book
5. AA: Why do you write most of your poems in rhymed verse (as can be seen in your poetrybook Voices of the Heart) ?
JWB: I find it challenging, and also very artistic to write it in rhyming verse.
6. AA: Who are your favorite dead poets ?
JWB: Edgar Allen Poe is most likely my all time favorite. "THE RAVEN" and of-course, Shakespeare.
AA: Why?
JWB: Edgar Allen Poe has an eerie style but it has always captured my imagination, even "The Tell-Tale Heart" I guess I'm a bit EXCENTRIC which I know is common among writers, artists and poets. The RAVEN by Edgar Allen Poe is an awesome poem that I enjoy and have seen the movie based on his poem.
7. AA: Do you have a favorite living poet?
JWB: Yes
8. AA: If yes, can you name the living poet?
JWB: J.W.Bradford.
9. Why do you like this particular living poet?
JWB: Because he is me and a good poet. Creative,honest,and deep.
10. AA: Who among the poets (dead/living) influenced you?
JWB: Honestly,I never followed anyone in poetry.My heart influenced me. Life, pain and love influenced me. I never considered writing poetry.It just happened. I never studied it,or went to school to learn about it or how to write it. God gave me a talent . I opened up a heart full of emotions and wrote them on paper.That was an escape for me. I am lucky that others enjoy what I write, but it is pure coincidence that it all came about,because none of it was planned.
11 AA: What awards have you received related to poetry?
JWB: 2001 award for excellence in poetry by International Society of Poets.
JWB: It honestly depends on the value of what is written. I have seen people write " The dog barked,walking down-hill,my ice cream fell, termites eating my chair.The clown killed the lady,and I laughed." And they called it poetry. Prose is an unstructured expression of the soul. A rose without roots or limits. It can be as beautiful if not more so than rhyme,as long as it is written with respect for the reader. Don't insult the person reading it,by throwing garbage together and calling it art. Create with beauty or truth and it can be a work of art.
13. AA: In your opinion, why is it big publishing firms do not accept poetrybook manuscripts from new poets?
JWB: They most likely have seen the damage done to the poetry aspect of writing by VANITY presses and fraudulent publishers who throw anything into print for a fee. There are so many talented poets but one false step and they get a black mark on their future by being recognized for producing a book with the wrong company,a company that didn't edit their book properly, jacked up the prices so high that nobody can make any money by selling it. Produced a poor cover and generally have a bad reputation among the legitimate publishing houses. If is sounds like I have experience with that ..well, let's just say I will seek another publisher if and when I write another book.
14. AA: Have you made bookreviews before?
JWB: No.
15. AA: Have you published a volume that is not a poetrybook?
JWB: No
16. AA: When do you plan to publish your second poetrybook?
JWB: Within the next 2 years.
17 AA: Did you contribute literary articles (poems, short fiction, essays, etc.) to middle school or college newspapers, community newspapers?
JWB: I did write a short heart-felt story for a school review when I was 16 years old. It was called PORTRAIT OF A FAMILY and dealt with domestic violence and my stepfather and the relationship I had with him.
18. AA: Aside from writing poetry, what are your favorite hobbies/recreation?
JWB: Music (listening to it. Talking on-line with other writers and friends. X-box games(playing)
19. AA: Are you single or married or divorced or widowed or remarried?
JWB: Divorced/single I have 3 kids,my daughter lives with me and has since she was 5 years old
20. AA: Where were you born?
JWB: Los Angeles, California
21. AA: What state are you living right now?
JWB: California
22. AA: Have you acted in Shakespeare plays or any plays before?
JWB: No.
23. AA: Name the schools you attended from gradeschool to college.
JWB:
Grade school: Cora Hargitt, Norwalk, California
High school: John Glenn High, Norwalk, California
College: San Bernardino Valley College
Course: Electronics
24. AA: Your birthday?
JWB: May 05, 1966
25. AA: Your official website address?
JWB: www.publishedauthors.net/JerryBradford/index.html
26. AA: Can you name at least 6 of your favorite poems in your poetrybook (Voices of the Heart) ?
JWB: Angel Lost, The Wounded, Safe Harbor, Butterfly, Requiem for a Heart, Lost Souls, Hunger.
1. AA: Why do you write poetry?
JWB: I write poetry because it allows me to express every emotion or thought,no matter how positive or negative in an acceptable manner. It allows me the opportunity to reveal things to others that I could never do verbally, or face to face. It frees me.
2. AA: Are poetrybooks difficult to sell? If yes, why?
JWB: Yes. I think the general public has lost its appreciation for poetry and art in any form over the years. When I was a young man, it was commonplace to go to a museum to see art or visit historical displays even attend a classical concert. I had the pleasure of hearing a very talented orchestra play BEETHOVEN's 5th symphony live when I was in high school but even my own 15 year old daughter laughs and remarks when I speak of classical music or art.
3. AA: Have you been invited before to judge poem contests?
JWB: No, but I have been asked by fellow poets to critique their work from time to time.
4. . AA: What poetry/literary organizations did you join? Are you an officer or a member of the board of directors of these poetry/ literary organizations?
JWB: None
5. AA: What are your other talents aside from poetry?
JWB: Drawing, singing I can't dance but used to shake a leg when I was younger.
6. AA: Did you go to Iraq as a solder after the Sept 11 tragic event?
JWB: No, My brother went and is returning soon for another tour in Iraq.
7. AA: Do you have a certain limit in lines when you write poems?
JWB: Usually around 20 but if the poem ends up longer I'm ok with that.
8. AA: What is your favorite poem in grade school ? middle school?
JWB: THE RAVEN Edgar Allen Poe
9. . AA: How did you learn to write poetry? Did you attend poetry workshops?
JWB: No schooling it just came natural to me.
10. AA: What is your job right now and your previous jobs?
JWB: 6 years active/ 2 inactive reserve
12. AA: What is the title of the poem which won you an award from the International Poets Society? Is this award-winning poem in your poetrybook (Voices of the Heart)?
JWB: LOST SOULS yes.
13. AA: What award did you receive for this poem- a medal? A certificate? A trophy? A cash prize?
JWB: trophy
14. AA: Many poets mention a muse as a guide or inspiration in their poetry. Do you think a muse (like in Greek mythology) exits that gives inspiration to poets?
JWB: Being a believer in a Christian God,I cannot give faith to any actual deities such as muses. However I do believe that the greek mythology of muses is an awesome way to explain inspiratin. Sometimes it is unexplainable,as to how a work of art or a writing came into existence.An artist say goes 10 years without any art beyond the ordinary and then one day "Wham" like lightning something possesses his mind heart and hand and he brings forth something beyond what he ever believed he was capable of. There is something at work there, but I would personally choose to believe it was God's intervention, or an unlocking of the artists soul that exploded upon the canvas. Just my thoughts though.
15. AA: Do you think a poet must have a bachelor's degree in creative writing to be a successful poet?
JWB: No. They only need to have pride in their writing, honesty,and the drive to push forward when the world seems set against them. And faith in their dream as a writer. Patience is also a very big key because time drags when you want the world to see you right now.
16. AA: Can a person make a living by being a poet? Can a poet get rich by writing poetrybooks?
JWB: A rich poet can get richer but the poor poet has a poor chance at wealth or any kind of living. Maybe one in a thousand will hit the right audience, find the right reviews, hit the market just right. There are so many variables, and the public is very choosy as to their tastes as compared to the past generations
You can buy the poetrybook by contacting the editor of Manila Review.
manilareview@yahoo.com
Do you want to buy JW Bradford's book?
Our email address: manilareview@yahoo.com
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