10/29/11:  And now as promised, first is the interview I participated in with =SilverInkblot (of DailyLitDeviations), and afterwards is the interview Scott did with me on Messenger – as he termed it in his new journal entry, "impromptu" – indeed!  I've copy/pasted his journal's version intact with introduction and closing remarks.  Please enjoy:

The Saturday Spotlight for October 29, 2011:  [link]

The other night my dear friend `jade-pandora told me that she had been asked by DLD to participate in an interview article series they have been running.  In anticipation of that interview we started talking about interviews in general, and she asked how I would conduct one if it were up to me.  I tossed up a mock interview question, and then the thing took on a life of its own.   

In the end it flowed out like a conversational interview, and after we cut out some of our silliness and tangents (I think we're both children at heart) it flows like it was intended to be a real interview all along.  So without further ado, here it is.  Whether you know Jade well already, have just recently encountered her works, or haven't yet had the pleasure I hope that this gives some insight into her wonderfully deep creative mind.    

The Interview

Scott: In the remarkably long time you've been on dA you've made numerous profound transitions artistically.  One that I've noticed is that you used to be primarily a traditional artist who dabbled in poetry, but you've grown into a strong writer.  Was there a pivotal moment for you where you realized that you were meant to write poetry, or did it happen too gradually to notice?

Jade:  It was when I realized a vision of a flaming pie...  so it was an instant epiphany!

Scott:  *chuckles*  A vision of a flaming pie?  What flavor was the pie?

Jade:  Don't make me kill you.  It was the same vision John joked to the press as to how he came upon the name Beatles.

Scott:  hehe  You would never do that.  There is a picture of your bookshelf up in your scrapbook.  It looks loaded with books of poetry.  Which are you reading now, and which would you pick off the shelf right now if you had to grab one in a rush?

Jade:  I like that question!   I'm reading Sixty Poems (Charles Simic) and would grab Book of My Nights (Li-Young Lee) among others.

Scott:  Readers who pay attention to your work will know that you are dyslexic. Do you have any advice for young dyslexic writers who might be struggling? What can non-dyslexics do to raise awareness?

Jade:  Oy. Hmm.  Firstly, dyslexic does /not/ mean stupid.  It just means our brain is wired differently. I used to think that typing my inspirations helped me get around some of the challenges, but handwriting has helped me create some of my more iconic works.  Whether dyslexic or not, we all have challenges that our brains need to overcome to appear normal.  I've learned that I'm not a freak - I'm different, and that makes me special.

Scott:  As an aside, I think that it's wonderful to know that there are dyslexic poets out there to be role models to people with learning challenges of all varieties.

Jade:  Well since you say that, let me tell you and the readers that John Lennon was dyslexic - and created some genius works in lyrics (poetry), and music.

Scott: I didn't know that.  I'd guess that a lot of other people don't either.

Jade:  I'm certain of it.

Scott:  You write often about things you experienced or saw or felt in your hometown of Los Angeles.  Do you think that growing up in such a cultural hub pulled you to become an artist?  Do you think you might have been inspired to write (or draw) had you spent your early years in a quieter (or smaller) place?

Jade: Oh but I did spend my time in a quieter place.  I was born in Los Angeles but lived my childhood in the San Fernando Valley which is where I moved back to some years ago, but I also enjoyed the bustle and definite edge of the city when I lived in more metropolitan areas.  Both types of places were good to round out my references of writing.  I've got all kinds of images to draw from, so much I still haven't touched on.  

Scott:  I still have quite a few myself.  I haven't touched on Switzerland or Nigeria at all yet, but I have so many memories.  I've also only ever touched briefly on my time in the Army, nothing ever about the actual time in which was an amazing time for me.  Moving to Texas softened me quite a bit.  If I'd stayed in Louisiana much longer I would likely have been on a destructive path that could only have ended in bitterness - or worse.  

You were a tomboy growing up.  What is the most spectacular bug you ever caught?

Jade:  Actually, I used to love to dig in the soil way out by the fence of our back yard.  I'd flood it with the garden hose and make mud so I could build citadels to attack with the little green plastic soldiers I had in a box. They became the Huns storming the gates.  I'd make things out of ice cream sticks, like the ladders they'd scale, and then they'd get torched by matches. They'd go up in flames -- green soldiers melting... and I'd dig moats around the citadel and come up with big dark sow bugs.

Scott: Ah, we called them roly-polies.  You had green soldiers?! Wow, you'd have been the coolest little girl in my neighborhood!

Jade:  Yes I had green soldiers - the kind mom would buy for me in bags.  I was always torturing them in war and fire and floods and flinging them down to their doom from the tree house up in our eucalyptus.

Scott: I love hearing about your tomboy exploits.

Jade: I love telling of my childhood, as you know from my poems.

Scott:  Part of the reason I love it so much is that I have this image of you as such a prim and proper young lady (as an adult).  So it's just fun to turn that mental image on its head.

Jade: heheh  I've never been prim and proper.  I hated wearing fluffy dresses and socks with lace, and hats and gloves on Easter, and my first bra - I fought tooth and nail to avoid that --- a bridle and saddle on a long-legged colt fresh from the pasture.

Scott:  *smiles at the equine imagery*  (eep, I need a quick break!) Nikki [my dog] started typing you a message while I was gone.  It said (and I quote) "d".  

If you were handed a blank plane ticket that could take you to any city in the world, where would you go and what would you do?  Who or what would you bring along?

Jade: I used to always want to go to Paris, and in a way that's still pretty high on my list.  I'd love to experience Spain/Portugal if I could add those destinations while so near in Paris.  As for what I would do - I definitely would want to drink in as much Bohemia as possible.  Have a fling with places I've heard about going when it comes to where lovers go, where they would eat and drink, and where the artists and models still get together (and break up as well).  In other words - try to be anything BUT a tourist.  I wouldn't try to bog myself down with a lot of luggage.


Closing Remarks:
From there we concluded the interview.  It was an absolute joy to get to know her better, even though we are already quite close.  

On a personal note she has had a tremendous impact on my own writing.  The first formal communication we had came while I was attempting to learn the tanka form.  I had posted a piece that didn't quite fit the mold, and a couple of the more experienced short form writers had been trying to help me - and in the process I had become frustrated and discouraged.  

Her very first note to me opened up with "Hi Scott, I'm Jade." and from there she showed me through several examples what the essence of the tanka really was.  She was a "show, don't tell" instructor, and guided me with encouragement and gentle suggestions.  She is approachable and relatable in a way one wouldn't expect of a poet of her talent and accomplishments.

(To view Scott's choices of featured poems from my gallery, please visit his journal here: [link] -- and give his efforts at making this interview & journal possible some love.)