This Sunday, despite technical difficulties, we were able to air and record a live interview with poet Melissa Eleftherion. We spent the first half of the interview on her chapbook Huminsect (dancing girl press, 2013). Many of these poems originally appeared in her thesis, as she was graduating with her MFA from Mills Collage. These poems include many specific references to insects and their parts, juxtaposed to the human body and the human condition; she sought to examine humans through the lens of systems. The poems vary in form which Melissa explains emerges organically during the writing process. She wants to investigate the 'gaps in language' and this is often reflected in the form. Jay discussed how Melissa's poetry, like a lot of poetry, can use language in a way that is unfamiliar and confronts us with an 'opaque otherness.' From this point, Melissa talked about how she compiled 'a lexicon from the gaps in her education.'
After the break we discussed her latest chapbook Prism Maps (Dusie Press Kollectiv & Quarter Drink Press, 2014). These poems were created during a postcard poem project. The lovely cover has a removable postcard and each poem is on the page facing the image of a postcard (depicting flowers or a map).
Besides these two books, we touched on Melissa's other projects. She started, and single-handedly manages The Chapbook Exchange, through The Poetry Center, which allows poets to share their work online. At this time there are over 50 contributors.
At the end of the interview, Melissa shared new work from her manuscript auto/bio.
Click here to listen
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