Geoffrey Gatza is the author of AvatarT: An Epic Poem The life and death the man of steelT DC's® Superman. He is the editor and publisher of BlazeVOX and BlazeVOX [books]. His new book, I Wear A Fig Leaf Over My Penis, is due out this summer from Koja press. Buy his book here. 1. What is the first poem you ever loved? Why? This would be 'Ickle Me, Tickle Me, Pickle Me Too' by Shel Silverstein from the book Where The Sidewalk Ends. I am fond of Silverstein's entire oeuvre of work but this piece comes to mind as a 'first' and continuing love. I was broken up when he died in May of '99, I even wore a black armband for a week in mourning. I admire his poetry for his ability to remain charming while conveying, equally, the absurd, the nonsensical, and the grotesque through cunning forms of language. He is silly but not childish. I even admire his use of illustrations, which he drew himself. I find his poems as useful to my current work as I do Creeley. Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too Went for a ride in a flying shoe. "Hooray!" "What fun!" "It's time we flew!" Said Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too. Ickle was captain, and Pickle was crew And Tickle served coffee and mulligan stew As higher And higher And higher they flew, Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too. Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too, Over the sun and beyond the blue. "Hold On!" "Stay in!" "I hope we do!" Cried Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too. Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too Never returned to the world they knew, And nobody Knows what's Happened to Dear Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me too. 2. What is something/someone non-"literary" you read which may surprise your peers/colleagues? Why do you read it/them? Well I read comics all the time but I don't think this would surprise anyone. I am a Harry Potter addict and this seems to irritate most of my peers. And no, I don't have kids. I read them for entertainment value of course, but there is something special in these books that keeps me coming back and waiting all night in book stores all night long to get my copy. This is the finest genera fiction that I have some across in a very long time, maybe since LeCarre in the height of the cold war. Rowling replaces the paternal formula for fantasy fiction with a maternal structure that is refreshing and calming. 3. How important is philosophy to your writing? Why? I'm sorry to say, but philosophy doesn't play a large role in my writing. Most philosophy that intrigues me these days has been subdivided to other disciplines. I, of course live and operate under an umbrella of western thought and it runs it's course through my writing, just as, say, the nicotine in my cigarettes plays an important role in my work. I am intrigued with the visual and the instantiations presented in visual art. So, color theory and design are important to my poems as elements of phanopoeia. I also look to Popular Culture for poetic themes to produce a more defined version of some object by replacing variables with values and language. 4. Who are some of your favorite non-Anglo-American writers? Why? Haruki Murakami (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, A Wild Sheep Chase) because his imagination is fearless; George Perec for his hair; Cold Mountain for his hopeful cynicism; The Diamond Sutra for it's color; The author of the book of John for his ability to see through the sun; Any Manga from TokyoPop . there are so many that it's hard to find time to write them all down. However, this must be carefully interpreted as I read only in English so these works come to me filtered through an anglo-american tradition, so am I, in every way, ignorant of things outside of my own culture, thus my true Americanism shines in amber waves. 5. Do you read a lot of poetry? If so, how important is it to your writing? I have a 'thing' with American experimental fiction after hairy overdose of Pynchon. I was in bad shape and after a several years with special sessions with my literary crisis councilor I can now approach things fictive, but I'd say that it's less than 10% of what I read. I do admire the work of Samuel Delany, Ted Pelton, George Sanders and Ben Marcus - all inform my poetry. I read poetry about 1 to 2 hours each day and the reading of poetry influences my work heavily. I find comfort in reading how others approach being human through text. I would say that 90% of the poetry I engage is online works in journals, listservs and individual author pages. This started years ago from necessity and poverty and has grown into a beloved daily activity. I have become very attached to my electronic community / family of writers. And in the sense of community one should participate and keep current. I find that this helps with my writing by knowing that I am not alone, or isolated. Poetry is happening all over the world and it's comforting to be a part of it. I am also very engaged in reading manuscripts from BlazeVOX so I have a nice inflow of fresh poems and book length works to keep me on my toes :-) 6. What is something which your peers/colleagues may assume you’ve read but haven’t? Why haven’t you? There are many books that I should have read but haven't. The reasons are varied but mostly it's because I found the work yucky. I am like Dryden in the sense that I read for entertainment and would rather chew tinfoil than read dreary verse, and there is plenty of it around. But to be direct, it would be Yassussada's "Double Flowering" and the reason would be that I haven't been able to find a physical copy in a bookstore. And when it comes to ordering it, I am generally out of cash. God wants me to be poor for some reason and this has a direct impact on my book buying. I have read all of the online selections of Yassusada and the accompanying criticism but I haven't made it all the way through the whole, physical book. How embarrassing - don't tell Kent :-) 7. How would you explain what a poem is to my seven year old? I don't think I'd have to explain it at all, as most of the texts a child would have previously encountered in her life would be rather poetic. I think that it would be more difficult for me to explain a poem to my co-workers at the restaurant. A resistance to poetry develops in the growing up but this is no different than the general rejection to all things art in contemporary America. This seems to be part of the mechanisms for modern society. 8. Do you believe in a Role for the Poet? If so, how does it differ from the Role of the Citizen? Yes, and that role is to write poems, albeit an environment hostile towards poetry. Contemporary culture embraces the poet as they would a mime. Whatever comes of that is what you get. Poetry is not the smartest artistic endeavor to become involved in. At one time, before recorded music, I read, poetry was a popular form of expression. So if you all but can't help yourself and need to write poems, then assume what ever role is needed for that poet to create their art. The role of the citizen is so far from clear to me. I grew up in a white suburb of Buffalo, NY and firmly believed that the world owed me a job and decent living wage. This hasn't come true yet. I served in the Marine Corps for 4 years and participated in the first gulf war and the Liberian civil war. From that I live with PSTD and I find difficult to cope in many situations. I smoke marijuana and am high mostly all the time to calm these moments of rage. This puts me at odds with being a good citizen or even a caring social creature. I am sure that my above comment is not a health feeling for a poet. It's overly practical and poets and citizens are not, if anything, practical. 9. Word associations (the first word which comes to mind; be honest): Lemon**confit Chiseled**Godzilla I**Pizza-potamus Of**Lavender Form**ten-forty 10. What is the relationship between the text and the body in your writing? A relationship similar to masturbation without the release. I write in the nude and so this a very apt question. I view my body with a kind of loved contempt. I am not unhappy with my form but I don't to be clothed while occupied in poetry. I can't put a finger on why this is important to my method, but I do know it's unthinkable any other way.