Lauren Martin is the author of the new poetry collection Night of the Hawk. She lives in Oakland, California.
Q: Over how long a period did you write the poems in your
new collection?
A: I wrote the poems in approximately two years and then spent a few years
submitting the collection.
Q: The playwright Michael Laurence said of the book, “There is so much love in
these poems; the jeweled lines sparkle and sing off the page--sometimes
playful, sometimes frightening in their honesty, but always tender in their
forgiveness of human foibles.” What do you think of that description?
A: I love that quote and I think it describes my work very well. I have never
shied away from authenticity and complex emotional realities. I feel committed
to inhabiting that kind of presence as an expression of kindness and connection
in the world.
Q: How was the book’s title--also the title of one of the poems--chosen, and
what does it signify for you?
A: Hawks within my shamanic existence have great significance. They come around
me to either clear iku (death) or confirm I’m on the right path. In Ifá,
raptors represent Ìyàmi (witches/great mothers). "Night of the Hawk"
(the poem) reflects my struggle with my destiny and my plea for ease.
Q: How did you decide on the order in which the poems would appear in the
collection?
A: My sister (my consummate supporter and editor) and I ordered and re-ordered
it. We felt there was a journey, or several journeys, reflected in the poems:
my journey with the Òrìsà, the journey with my injury/disability, and the
journey of family understanding (from child to young adult to more mature
adult).
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I have a memoir I have been writing for over a decade that chronicles my
life course as a seer that I think is close to done. I have a second book of
poetry that is also close to done.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: My hope with these poems is to tell stories that people often don’t feel
safe to tell.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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