from wikipedia.Pendle Hill

Q.What made you start writing poetry?

K.I loved poetry but never believed I could write it.But then I found some old poetry I’d written and put aside.Also I was envying a young relative who was doing English Literature at college and also creative writing.That gave me an incentive to escape from envy into activity.

Q.Is it difficult to begin writing when you are older?

K.Not at all,in my case.I found it easier perhaps because one has less to lose in terms of the judgment of others.And secondly an awareness of the finiteness of life urges me to develop and enjoy my talents.And thirdly I have some visual problems which impelled me to take Art classes.I found that much,much harder than writing.

Q.Why did you find Art harder?

K.I was brought up in a working class home where the main interest outside work was music.I played two instruments and sang but we had little knowledge of Art beyond the dour portraits of local dignitaries in the Town Hall or paintings of Jesus and his Mother and other religious subjects.These did not touch me deeply.

Q,So what did move you?

A.I bought a print of a painting by Monet in of all places a small department store.I was about 20.The painting was of tulip fields.This was very different in style from the other paintings I’ve mentioned.From there I developed an interest in Impressionism and later I learned to enjoy Picasso.I had real difficulty with my first viewings of Paul Klee but he is now someone I love very much.I think Picasso affected me the most strongly.I once fell down before one of his drawings… my knees gave way.No-one else’s work has done that.Drawing,the line,seems to affect me most intensely.
The artist I like best is Cezanne.I am unsure why.

Q.Why were you in difficulty in the classes?

K.~I was the only totally ignorant person there.I knew no techniques at all.There is something difficult even for a writer to mark the blank page.For an aspiring artist it’s more,much more,problematical.

Q.So did you make progress?

K.A little.I have a strong feeling for colour.That helped.But before I got much skill I had to stop attending class and now have been exploring digital art.This has taught me what I like.I like to draw two pe ople or two objects in relation to each other.

Q.Did you realise how much poetry was in you?

K.No.I thought I’d write 6 or 7 but when I got there I was hooked on the process.I realise some if the poems were not very good but I was surprised to find a few that were and so I have kept on writing.

Q.Why writing rather than Art?

K.I believe it may be the musical quality of poetry that draws me in.

Q.which poets do you like?

K.Far too many to put here,but here are a few modern ones

Simon Armitage
Wendy Cope.
Philip Larkin.
eecummings.less
Sylvia Plath for her great technique and moulding her material,less so for her topics!
Ted Hughes.
Carol Ann Duffy

Slightly further back

Auden
McNiece
Spender
Yeats
Hopkins
Wordsworth.

Earlier

I love the metaphysical poets

I love Shakespeare’s sonnets but I am pretty ignorant of early English writing.

Q.Do you emulate any poet?

K. No,I cannot write that way.

Q.Any further points?

K.Yes,writing is a tremendous pleasure and gives me at best a link to someone or

something far beyond my self as I am usually aware of it.And also I can amuse

myself writing nonsense which saves me buying funny books.And annoys a few of my

family and friends too.C’est la vie

Q.Thank you very much.

K My pleasure…but enough now.I’ll  just mention that the internet has it’s bad side.I was once called a tart on a public forum on  poetry website… so if you write on such a place check their policy on porn,obscenity etc.If it is allowed by default then keep clear.