Sparkle Bookstore owner Donna Miele has been fortunate to count Rockland Poet Laureate Juan Pablo Mobili as a friend through the county’s writing community for several years. He has also been a great friend to The Sparkle, offering 2 workshops in the last 6 months. On Thursday April 23 at Nyack Library, he hosted and headlined the Poet Laureate Annual Reading: Embracing Our Lives, featuring four fellow local poets for a diverse and expansive evening. On Wednesday, May 13, the Poet Laureate visits The Sparkle again for workshop with poets at any stage of their craft. In this interview Juan explores his journey as a poet and how he pays it forward in his role as Poet Laureate.
Donna:
I prepared briefly for this interview by brushing up on your recent goings on. My goodness, you've been busy! You are featured on The Wild World, have been profiled in The Journal News, and have kept a packed schedule as the Poet Laureate of Rockland County. A couple of years ago, in an interview with Tupelo Quarterly you offered, "Art is about bracing for the huge dent [life's transformative moments] or condemning yourself, ultimately, to repeat yourself. I want to invite the reader to take a similar chance: this might take you where you did not expect to go." How would you describe the last couple of years -- have they taken you someplace unexpected?
Juan:
I’d say that “risking a dent” is still something I consider worthwhile, at least, when it comes to writing and venturing beyond what you write about or how a poem could be more immediate in establishing a meaningful dialogue with the reader. As far as being taken to unexpected places, there are several poems I’m satisfied with how they surprised me, also my current manuscript benefited from my pushing beyond what I know. All that said, in the last two years evolving as Poet Laureate, grasping what poetry can bring to communities, has been the biggest learning ground and source of valuable realizations.
Donna:
Your workshop at The Sparkle is entitled, "Making Our Poems Stronger, Together." What mentors, inspirations, or practices offer strengthening influences for your own poetry?
Juan:
Let me start with “practices”. Writing as often as I can (the goal for me is doing it daily) which includes revising as much as first drafts, is my “true north.” I think that “inspiration”, since you ask about it, is more a discipline than anything else: sit down notice what you observed and write even if you are not in the mood. As far as “mentors,” reading poetry is as important to me as writing, especially certain poets whom I owe much of any “creative maturity” I might have achieved so far: William Stafford, Robert Lax, Anna Swir, Robert Bly, Naomi Shihab Nye, and some Latin American poets like Juan Gelman, Cesar Vallejo and Adelia Prado. I don’t know that they influence how I write as much as they taught immense lessons about giving myself permission to keep “risking the dent” we spoke about before.
Donna:
I know you've been doing a lot of teaching lately, and I like to ask this of teachers: What have your students taught you lately?
Juan:
Fundamentally, how to be more interested in them, what they might take and try in their work. I’m still learning about that: prescribe less and be surprised together.
Juan Pablo Mobili was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and adopted by New York City. His most recent collection is Contraband (Poetry Box 2022).