zumpoems

Zoetic Press Interview with Zumwalt

Pleased to announce that Zoetic Press published their interview with Zumwalt. It is archived here: https://www.zoeticpress.com/interview-archive

Providing the interview below:

If you could have any writer/artist, living or dead, as a mentor, who would you choose?
I was mentored by John Cage , briefly. It would be nice to bring him back for additional conversations.

Is there a specific period of history whose art or writing you admire? Why?
Yes, twentieth century music, particularly between 1909 and 1929 and 1944 and 1955 including Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Charles Ives, Igor Stravinksy and Béla Bartók.

Is there one part of your creation process that’s harder for you?
The first part is always harder than the second part, with the second part of the first part being slightly easier than the first part of the second part.

Talk about the moment you knew you wanted to be a creator.
It was when I found out the impression a box of crayons could make on an empty wall. I soon learned that creativity had consequences and that my take on creativity wasn’t always appreciated.

Do you have a piece that you created early in your career that makes you cringe? Will you ever go back and fix it so it can be submitted somewhere?
No actual cringing: each piece has its own context. Spontaneity is often replaced with craft, and both are to be valued. In terms of “fixing” an earlier piece, I sometimes revise them, but I don’t think of the previous version as broken — it just no longer aligns with my current aesthetics or intentions.

What is your biggest creative doubt?
How to answer interview questions.

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
As a child, I struggled to get a D minus in penmanship. I was instructed to “write within the lines.” This advice initially seemed appropriate, but I later learned that, if there is no grade involved, it is sometimes advantageous to cross the lines.

You’re stranded on a desert island – what three creative tools do you want with you?
My first request would be a working cellular phone. If that did not qualify as a creative tool, I would opt for a helicopter and a pilot.