Friday, October 27, 2023

Q&A with Andrew Weatherhead

 


 

 

Andrew Weatherhead is the author of the new poetry collection Fudge. His other poetry collections include $50,000. He is based in Glens Falls, New York.

 

Q: Over how long a period did you write the poems in this new collection?

 

A: Seven years, seven months, and 12 days. The earliest draft of any poem in this book is from Leap Day 2016, and the last edit was sent to the printer on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023.

 

Q: How did you decide on the order in which the poems would appear?

 

A: It's mostly chronological.

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: I like the double meaning of fudge as a confection and a goofy, family-friendly curse word.

 

I use the expletive “fudge” often, and the silliness of the word invariably reduces the seriousness with which I’m able to take whatever misfortune that's occurred. I feel like the poems in the book work similarly.

 

Q: The writer Nicolette Polek said of the collection, “Deft and giddy. Like light through a prism, Fudge renders life in splintering color.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I think it's lovely, and it makes me feel a little unworthy. Nicolette is an amazing writer. I love her story collection, Imaginary Museums, and I can’t wait to read her new novel, Bitter Water Opera.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Working on raising a daughter. She just turned 1. It’s amazing.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: The true miracle is not walking on water, but walking on earth.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

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