Art Chowder July | August 2017, Issue 10 | Page 26
EMILY
GWINN
BY KAREN MOBLEY
The first thing you notice when you hear Emily Gwinn is her
terrific energy. She has a mother’s voice that commands your
attention and makes you sit up and listen. What she says, mat-
ters.
Gwinn has written since college and has a reputation for her
leadership. “Poetry has always been in my life, but it wasn’t
until high school that I fell in love. I remember one specific as-
signment to memorize and recite a classic poem, which is when
I discovered Emily Dickinson. I didn’t memorize just one, but
spent the entire year trying to recite from memory the entire
collected works. Her sense of beat and breath left me woozy. It
wasn’t until college that I took a class on writing poetry. That is
when my brain exploded and I was hooked,” said Gwinn.
“I fall in love with almost every book of poetry I read, which
might be a problem, but one I’m willing to never resolve. Late-
ly I’ve been opening books by Ashley Capps, Jennifer K. Swee-
ney, Michael Schmeltzer, Katrina Roberts, and Maya Jewell
Zeller. When I find time to read poetry I am often turning to
poets I want to see in Tieton or those I have met in Tieton. I
have the pleasure of being the new Executive Director of the
LiTFUSE Poets’ Workshop, held in Tieton, Washington each
September. It’s a magical experience. For seven years I attend-
ed as a participant before being asked to take over as director,
and in order to do my job well, I must read poetry. What better
gig is there? This year I’m bringing some of my favorite poets
with me to serve as faculty, including Paisley Rekdal, Derek
Sheffield, Nance Van Winckel, Christopher Howell, and Tod
Marshall, just to name a few. LiTFUSE is a community of writ-
ers who get together to work on craft. I hope people get curious
about it and research us: www.litfuse.us.”
Slam poet, Isaac Grambo said, “In her writing, Emily balances
the universal with the concrete to effectively connect with read-
ers on topics that probably surprise them. Especially with her
poems about fear of failing in motherhood, she addresses and
dismantles mythical motherly expectations while at the same
time appealing to non-mothers who have their own fears about
not living up to any given ideal.”
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