RB: Do you think poetry is necessary at this time in RB: Many of your poems are quite personal history? Why? and deal with overcoming grief. What is it Russell Banks IH: There’s poetry and there’s poetry. Serious poetry about the poetic form that makes it a vehicle sits down with is written from the poet’s heart . . . especially now, more suitable for such sentiments than when poets don’t give money-earning a moment’s theater or fi lm? Israel Horovitz thought because earning money from poetry is IH: I am painfully aware of audience when to chat about virtually impossible. I have faith that what’s written I write plays and fi lms. I’m not talking about from the human heart fi nds a home in human what I think people want . . . I mean what I his new book hearts. So, yuh, necessary. think people need. I’m always asking myself, “Why do people need this play? I’m taking up Heaven RB: In your mind, what is a poem? As opposed to people’s time, spending their babysitter money. and a play or fi lm or work of prose fi ction. I’d better have something to say about life that’s IH: The Oxford dictionary tells us a poem is a meaningful.” I constantly ask myself, “What is Other Poems “. . . literary work in which special intensity is given it I’m trying to teach the audience about life?” to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of I often think what interests the public isn’t in the distinctive style and rhythm.” A poem, for me, is best public interest. I often create characters in my personal and concise. It’s a window into the poet’s plays that an audience would collectively cross the heart. For me a great play or fi lm or novel is personal street to avoid in life. I love watching an audience but not concise. If it’s great work, it’s also a window fi nd affection for characters they would avoid in into the writer’s heart. But the writer is hiding life. When I write poetry, I never have any of these behind characters of his or her creation. A poet is, thoughts. I never imagine anybody actually sitting by contrast, next to naked . . . something akin to and reading the stuff. My poems are mostly me standing on a street corner in a really trying to fi gure out why I feel what skimpy bathing suit. I feel, why I do what I do. I never once thought I was writing poetry RB: You have a story about Samuel for publication. Publishing the Beckett in your new book, Heaven poems in Heaven and Other Poems and Other Poems, as well as poem wasn’t my idea at all. I can’t even translated by Beckett. What are fi nd half the poems I’ve written. “A collective sigh, the work of a some of the things you admired They’re mostly buried somewhere master writer.” —NEIL LABUTE most about Beckett? in stacks of notebooks. . . . I write poetry for myself, really. . . . It turns IH: “Elegiac, verbally playful, and Clearly, what I admired most out that I’m not at all special . . . unsparingly honest.” —KEVIN KLINE about Samuel Beckett was his so my innermost thoughts are fairly integrity as a writer. He never, ever similar to the innermost thoughts “Poems that make our lives larger wavered from serious intent. He knew than they would be without them.” of people who read and respond to precisely why he was put on earth and my poems. That pleases me. But —RUSSELL BANKS he wasted not a minute. He had a it’s not at all why I write poetry. poet’s love of language, but never let style or wordplay take command, steer the RB: You note that you’ve ship. His novels can be re-read a dozen times and written poetry all your life. How is your never fail to surprise. His poetry is little-known, but more recent poetry, written in your sixties beautiful. I think Cascando is a masterpiece. and seventies, different from the poems you wrote in your early and middle years? How Playwright-screenwriter-director Israel RB: You just directed a movie, My Old Lady, based is it the same? Horovitz’s seventy stage plays have on one of your plays. Has writing and directing been translated and performed in as IH: I suppose the love poems of our youth become for fi lm and/or theater had any effect on your many as thirty languages worldwide. the dirty old man love poems of our anecdotage. poetry writing? Best-known plays include Line (now in I could glibly say that my old-guy poems (versus its fortieth year, off-Broadway), The IH: Throughout my lifetime, I’ve been unable to my studly young-guy poems) are death-obsessed, Indian Wants the Bronx, Park Your Car work on more than one play at a time. . . . Writing but, frankly, I’ve been death-obsessed since I was in Harvard Yard, and My Old Lady. a stage play or screenplay has always consumed me, a child. I vividly remember my sixth birthday. Best-known fi lms include Author! taken over my life. I can’t stop . . . even after I’ve Author!, Sunshine (for which he won the We had two-session days in grade school with European Academy Award–Best stopped. The people of my plays and fi lms become lunch breaks at home. On that particular birthday, Screenplay), James Dean (which insanely real for me. I worry about them long after a bunch of kids came home with me for a party. I introduced James Franco), 3 Weeks I’ve written “FADE TO BLACK” or “CURTAIN”. . . And blew out the candles on the cake and while the kids After Paradise (which he wrote, directing a play or movie leaves little time for eating were singing the expected “Happy birthday to you directed, and starred in), and My Old or sleeping, let alone writing something else. But, . . .” I was thinking “I’m not fi ve anymore. I don’t Lady, which he recently adapted for the writing poetry is the single exception to this like the way this is going.” I can’t honestly say my screen and directed (at age seventy- self-infl icted rule. I have always written poems in four) starring Kevin Kline, Maggie old-guy poems are slimmer or more precise than my addition to whatever else I’ve been writing. Writing Smith, and Kristin Scott Thomas. young-guy poems. I guess they’re more about a poem is a kind of holiday in sunshine . . . no old-guy concerns than they used to be. I’m not Horovitz has written poetry matter how grim and adverse the verse. Writing really sure I mean that. . . . I just wanna answer throughout his lifetime. poetry relaxes me. It’s literary Valium. I can work your questions, Russ, ’cause I think yo’re a wick’id Heaven and Other Poems is the a week on a four-line poem, and often have. # fi rst collection of his poetry he has excellent writer. authorized for publication. HEAVEN AND OTHER POEMS by ISRAEL HOROVITZ. ISBN: 978-1-941110-11-9, Trade Paper, 112 pgs, October 14, 2014 PHOTO: GAËLA BLANDY, PARIS PHOTO: GAËLA BLANDY, Published by THREE ROOMS PRESS | www.threeroomspress.com | Distributed by PGW