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Lyrics of Life
in four part harmony
by
Larry Pontius
Summer 2005-Jul
Table of Contents
Editor's Message
Poetry
Poem Reviews
Book Reviews
Interviews
Book Ads
Interview by Andrew C. Angus
Email Interview received: Sept 13, 2005, Tuesday.
1. Andrew: Describe yourself (extrovert, introvert, athletic, etc.) :
Larry: I describe myself as half extrovert/half introvert. It depends on the situation and the company I'm keeping. Years ago I was very athletic. In fact, I was a varsity swimmer on my high school and college teams.
2. Andrew: What do you think makes a poetrybook a bestseller?
Larry: The same thing that makes any book a best seller. People want to read it and, therefore, buy it.
3. Andrew: What makes a poem a classic?
Larry: I think it must be on a classic theme and extremely well written.
4. Andrew: What is your favorite theme in composing poems? (sports, nature, etc.)
Larry: My favorite theme is "the lessons we learn".
5 Andrew: How did you learn to write poems?
Larry: I learned to write as an advertising copywriter. I learned how to write poems from reading them and through a lot of practice.
6. AA: What is your longest single poem so far - in terms of lines? in terms of stanzas?
LP: I don't write long poetry. My longest is less than 50 lines or ten stanzas.
7. AA: When do you write poetry? Any specific time - morning, afternoon, evening, dawn?
LP: I write poetry whenever the mood strikes. However, it often happens at night.
8. AA: Is your first poetrybook (Lyrics of Life) a bestseller? How many have you sold so far?
LP: Lyrics of Life is not a bestseller, nor did I expect it to be. It was just published in July. I'm not sure how many have sold so far, but I suspect it's less than 100.
9. AA: How many years did it take before you published your first poetrybook - Lyrics of Life?
LP: I've been writing poetry for more than 40 years. In that time I've published three books of poetry "Warm Harbor and Other Places to Hide", "Buttermilk Sundays", and "Lyrics of Life, in four-part harmony".
10. AA: What is your day job right now?
LP: I'm retired and an author of books, novels and poetry.
11. AA: What is your favorite poem/s during high school or college days?
LP: My own favorite poem is "The Cost of Growing Up". My favorite poem is "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost.
12.AA: Have you read your poems in front of an audience? If yes, describe your experience.
LP: No I haven't read in front of an audience. However, I have recorded them ala Rod McKuen. That was a fun experience.
13. AA: Have you experienced judging poem/s in poetry contests? If yes, describe your experience.
LP: No I haven't experienced judging poems.
14. AA: In what year and at what age did you publish your first poetrybook?
LP: My first book of poetry was published in 1972 when I was 33 years old.
15. AA: Can a poet earn his living on his poems as a musician earn his living on his music?
LP: I don't believe so.
16. AA: What is the difference between writing a poem and writing an essay?
LP: I would like to say it's a matter of rhythms and a careful choice of words, but these days it often doesn't seem like there's any difference.
17. AA: . Name at least 5 of your favorite poems in your poetrybook - Lyrics of Life? Why?
LP: The Cost of Growing up (aging), The Second Million Times (love), The Boob Tube (humor/modernism) , Buttermilk Sundays (love), I am Man (humanism).
18. AA: Your poetrybook is entitled Lyrics of Life? Why the title ?
LP: I often think of poetry as lyrics to a song and, in fact, some of the poetry I've written is actually lyrics to songs.
19. AA: Are you a musician? If yes, do you have a band? Are you songs recorded by a music studio?
LP: I am not a musician. However, many of the songs I have written lyrics for were recorded in studios by orchestras and well know singers.
20. AA: Do you still work in Disney Co.? How long did you work in Disney Co.?
LP: I no longer work for the Disney organization. I worked for Disney for seven years and in Florida as well as California.
21. AA: Have you won any literary awards?
LP: Yes my worked has won awards. The thriller, "Waking Walt", was chosen as best speculative novel by the Florida Writers Association in the 2003 Royal Palm Awards.
22. AA: Where can people buy your poetrybook?
LP: "Lyrics of Life, in four-part harmony" can be purchased at Amazon.com, B&N.com or ordered through virtually any bookstore.
Lyrics of Life
in four-part harmony
by
Larry Pontius
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