"I took on this project because I thought themed poetry would be a challenge. And it was. At first, I had no idea how I would approach this particular Winter theme, and was afraid of falling into cliché after cliché. Fortunately, I think I was able to address the theme in a more subtle way and keep the writing fresh. I certainly learned a lot from the experience."                             ~ Jeffrey Calhoun

Where Would You Rather Be?

"I made a construction paper                 I've come to your grave, Mom,                 "There are too many leaves;         kangaroo when I was eight and             to lay this task to rest.                               you think the devil         the winter gutted everything"                 You said take care of sister"                     sent an organic payload"

	Eve Anthony Hanninen: Did you feel constricted by the form, pattern or format of your project requirements, or did you find it stimulating, provoking? Jeffrey Calhoun: My original concern was writing clichés about cold weather and beaches. While everyone enjoys beaches and many avoid cold weather like the plague (there's one of those clichés!), they are difficult for me to write about without writing like I did in high school (in other words, badly). I hope I was able to figure out how one can write a poem toward a theme in more subtle ways. Ideally, the reader will find the pieces unexpected even as they fit within the schema of the theme. EAH: What attracted you to writing poetry, and what other occupations have you explored with as much enthusiasm? JC: I started writing song lyrics because I enjoy music, and it slowly developed into writing poems. The challenge that keeps my interest is saying a lot with few words, and saying something in a new or unexpected manner. Biological research is my number one passion. I am constantly curious about how our physiology allows us to live our lives, and I enjoy thinking about the course of evolution. The parallel to poetry is the creativity, the ability to look at a problem from multiple angles and come up with creative methods to answer a biological question. Jeffrey Calhoun is an upperclassman at the University of Dayton. After graduating, he plans to pursue a graduate degree in cellular biology. His writing credits include 2River, Triplopia, Lily, Loch Raven Review, Poems Niederngasse, SOFTBLOW, and Tilt. Jeff is also a regular contributor to The Centrifugal Eye. Contact Jeff

Contemporary Poetry With An Eye Towards Resistance


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