A2: Creativity is often drawn from experiences and memories, but how it is related to a piece varies greatly from person to person. How do you process experience and memory into a creative work product?

AS: I tend to only write from memory. Experiences that happened to me that I need to get out in some way, shape, or form. I think about what stories “need” to be shared and what is at the core of them. What it is that may be relatable for example, and then try my best to write about the memory with that idea in mind. 

A2: It seems you play with structure to visually represent nostalgia in your work. What inspires your break from traditional poetry formation? Is it the creative voice of your piece that informs the structure or the reverse, or do you have another sequence for piecing it all together?

AS: I break away from traditional poetry form when I find a form that would add an extra layer to the piece. In this specific instance, with “M.A.S.H” and “Mad Libs” I wanted to paint the bigger picture, to make the reader an active participant. In doing so, it also (hopefully) makes the reader question why they chose the options that they did and think about childhood. What did we learn while we played these games as children? Are we all constantly participating in roles that lead to abuse of different kinds? These are questions that I considered while writing these poems, questions that readers will hopefully consider too. 

A2: What kind of poet do you identify with in theory, even if it differs from your work product but still influences you in some way? It could be a memory, feeling, or experience you have with a piece that you just can’t shake and that flashes quickly in your mind during the creative process. Do you have any specific works that haunt your creative process?

AS: I constantly think of “Boot Theory” by Richard Siken, it is a poem that haunts me in the best way possible. Likewise, a poet named Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven greatly informs all of my work. Her work with readymade helped to shape this piece, along with many of my other poems. I think of her work and her life story often.