Hala Alyan is one of the featured artists in Hot House: A Summer Poetry Extravaganzaon Thursday, July 31 @ Organic Modernism, the second in a series of events produced by 3Po3try NYC.
Interview by Thomas Fucaloro
What one word describes your writing style? Inconsistent
What's your idea of the the perfect poem? When I have to catch my breath afterwards.
What's your best writing moment? When even a dim lightbulb on the subway is inspiring.
What's your worst writing moment? During dry spells—days or even weeks without a single poem.
If you could steal one line from any poem, what would it be? "What luxury, to be so happy/that we can grieve/over imaginary lives." -Lisel Mueller
What time of the day do you mostly write? For poetry, it’s nighttime.
What do you do to get into your writing sessions? Set a timer and work.
What's the weirdest place you ever wrote? In an airport detention room.
What's the weirdest thing you ever wrote on? Someone’s neck.
What book changed your writing forever? Louise Glück’s "The House on Marshland"
What poet, dead or alive, would you like to be friends with? Mahmoud Darwish
Do you have any writing superstitions? Not to show people unfinished poems.
Hala Alyan is a Palestinian-American poet whose work has appeared in several journals, including Copper Nickel, Third Coast, and The Journal. Her first full-length poetry collection, Atrium, was published by Three Rooms Press and was awarded the 2013 Arab American Book Award in Poetry. Find more of Hala's work in the great weather for MEDIA anthologies The Understanding between Foxes and Light and It's Animal but Merciful.
Hot House: A Summer Poetry Extravaganza Thursday July 31st 7:00 -10:00 pm
Organic Modernism
203 North 11th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Advance tickets (including early bird specials - deadline July 15) may be purchasedhere
