Arminé Iknadossian: Inspiration, Procrastination, and Giving the Poem Its Space

Does a poet have to write every day? In this podcast, Armine Iknadosian discusses what it means to be a “poet-in-the-world.” For her this means having a “poet-mind” instead of a “practical-mind.” She continuously scrolls through the world around her for stories that want to be told, whether they be her own stories, or stories from voices across the globe. In this way her work is a matter of both inspiration and procrastination. . . and when she can’t get a poem “right,” she respects the poem enough to give it “space,” until the poem itself is ready to be written. 

Rewrite Strategy: In writing about big, personal subjects like family relationships, Armine discusses the value of finding a single moment that reveals the complicated nature of the entire relationships. Look for a scene or instance that shows both the positive and negative aspects of the person or relationship and focus on that scene.