Q&A with 2022 Sundog Poetry Prize Winner Bethany Breitland | Arts/Entertainment

Bethany Brightland Break the rules of poetry and break out with a fiery collection of poetry.

To help an up-and-coming Vermont poet publish their first or second book, the annual Mock Poetry Book Award with partners Green Writers Press publish their new manuscript. Breitland’s book The Fire Index has been selected for the 2022 prize and will be presented at Phoenix Books April 4th.

The event was an intimate gathering and celebration of a much-loved author and her debut novel. BFA-St. student Rebekah Dalmer Albans recently sat down with Brightland to talk about her early inspirations, writing process and published poetry.

Q: How did you know about the Sundog Poetry and Book Award? What do you expect from it?

A: I think [the manuscript] Prepared and sent out a year in advance. It came full circle, but didn’t go on. It’s one of the signs that something isn’t quite ready… just to say no. Saying no is so precious. I know I’m on to something, but maybe I need to go further, maybe I need less. [The competition] Back, I trust my manuscript.

Q: How long have you been working on such a collection of poems, and are you looking forward to publication?

A: Yes. I’ve been working on these poems…I think maybe I wrote the first poem in this book in 2018. One of the poems I wrote this fall. I do hope to get published, the manuscript is probably three times that size, and I’ve been taking things out, only allowing what is necessary. There are a lot of pieces that I really like because they sound great, or I made a metaphor that I’m proud of, but they’re not essential to the book. It’s been a long process of rewriting, editing and smoothing it out…it’s ready.

Q: How would you describe your high school experience as a young poet? Who were your early influences?

A: I was reading all kinds of feminist literature, mostly fiction, and really turned to feminist literature during my sophomore year of high school. From there I was introduced to Nicki Giovanni and Emily Dickinson. I was reading classic poetry, accepted by the canon, and then I was reading the avant-garde…at the time, women of color were just coming out to tell their experiences. I find the tension between the two comforting because I live inside that woman – between being structured, censored, culturally demanding and the way I was raised in my family and things I can’t say …and reading about saying the unspeakable, breaking the rules of politeness that so many poets obey. Being able to read between the lines of Emily and being able to read more provocative contemporary work…helped me find my voice there.

Q: The title “Fire Index”; does this refer to the kind of fire index used by weather agencies to measure ignitability and fire intensity? Something to do with the cover of Burning Landscape?

A: This is a field on fire. The idea of ​​having a level of flammability fascinates me. The NWS has a more combustible scale, which has a greater chance…I need a lot of things to burn so they can turn into something else. Like definition, I’m transforming things into themselves…I often talk about burning things so they can become something more useful to me.

Q: Did you think of anyone when you wrote these poems? Who do you want this book to reach?

A: Everyone. When I taught high school, I taught gang kids in Los Angeles, moved to Boston, I taught criminals in downtown Boston, stopping knife fights, women fresh out of the sex trade, I risked myself. Then I taught at a private school. . . I was like ugh. And there’s a part of it… the privileged who aren’t honest with themselves. They don’t need to change or see themselves as who they really are. I find this to be the biggest risk. They are at risk to varying degrees. Not cheap. Who do I want this book to go to? I hope it reaches out to at-risk populations…be honest with yourself.

There are many opportunities to be a victim of our lives, but that won’t cure you. What will heal you is being honest about your life, what needs to change, how you are involved and how you are still involved here. let it burn. There is no self-pity in this book.

Hear Bethany Breitland read her work at sundogpoetry.org/multimedia. Her work can be purchased at Phoenix Books in Burlington or online.

a version of this story First published in BFA-St.’s student newspaper, The Mercury. Albans. Rebekah Dalmer is a BFA student and Mercury writer.