BYU English professor and poet Kimberly Johnson discussed her poetic writing process and read a selection of her poetry, including an assortment of poems from her latest book, Uncommon Prayer.
PROVO, Utah (Nov. 14, 2014)—BYU English professor Kimberly Johnson talked about her process for writing poetry and read a few of her own poems at the English Reading Series.
Johnson began by reading several poems from her new book, Uncommon Prayer. Among some of the titles were “Bug Zapper,” “Wrecking Ball,” “Metronome,” “The Lord God Bird,” and “Cow Punch.”
“In this book there are a number of poems that are spoken by nonhuman entities, and the titles indicate the speakers of these poems,” said Johnson. “It’s interesting to put yourself into the position of others to be an empathetic person.”
For example, her poem “Metronome” expresses the rebellious voice of an inanimate device no longer willing to keep time. Of “Metronome” she jokingly remarked, “This is what happens when a white girl from Utah listens to too much Jay-Z.”
One student asked Johnson what has most affected her identity as a poet. “That would be rock ‘n’ roll,” Johnson said. “I spend a lot of time listening to music at loud volumes. I am very interested in having the physical affirmation of that beat going on. I write when I’m running and so there’s a lot of physical beating going on anyway.”
Johnson explained that she experiences the world in lines. She said that she processes things through a balance of music and sound, which makes writing in lines a natural expression for her.
“I’m not actually interested in my feelings, but I am interested in how the language sounds,” she remarked. “I try to follow the sounds to see what concerns they seem to be accumulating around, what patterns seem to be emerging, and I try and let that dictate how it develops as it goes.”
Johnson also identified the importance of the sounds a poem makes and how that opens up the possibility for a continuation of ideas.
“The poem determines physically where its investment in the language is,” said Johnson.
Another student asked which tools she has used to discover language. “Read a lot of books,” she replied. “Read everything you can get your hands on. Read the Smithsonian magazine. Read the back of your cereal box. Read junk mail. Suck in language wherever you can get it because it’s the only way that you can expand your vocabulary.”
Johnson concluded, “You have to keep the antenna up all the time. Accustom yourself to thinking of language not merely as transparent. Be aware of all the different ways, and texture and shapes that language has around you so that you never allow language to become something you can’t hold in your hands and make use of. The minute that happens you stop treating it like it’s the material for poetry.”
For more information about her work, contact Kimberly Johnson.
–Sylvia Cutler (BA English ’17)