Poets interest in writing started at an early age

Jessie Carty grew up thinking about poetry.

“I can actually remember making up little songs about daffodils and such when I was on the long bus ride home from kindergarten,” Carty recalled. “I loved nursery rhymes and Dr. Seuss. It started early for me!”

Now, as an adult, Carty is still thinking about poetry. Since completing her MFA at Queens University of Charlotte, Carty has published two chapbooks of poetry and a full length collection of poems entitled “Paper House.” (Folded Word, 2010).

“Poetry started out for me as a way to think things through,” Carty said. “Now, I hope that my poetry can give someone that moment of ‘ah! I've been there’ or ‘oh! I can learn from that’ because that's what reading other poets does for me.” 

Like many of her poems, Carty’s poem, “After the Storm,” draws on a memory from her childhood. 

“I remember someone saying once that you could spend your whole life writing about everything before, like, age 7,” Carty said. “’After the Storm’ is loosely (very loosely) influenced by the house I lived in until I was about 8 years old,” she says. “We had a large security light on the roadway and there were always bats circling the lights.”

Beyond the connections she hopes to make with her own readers, Carty also believes poetry plays an important role in our society. 

“Sure we interact with words a lot on a daily basis -- from texting, to reading novels, to letters in advertisements -- but poetry is unique in the way it makes you slow down to think in a new way,” Carty said. “We need better critical reading skills, don't we! Poetry can give you that for sure. It can also just make you smile.”

When Carty isn’t writing her own poetry, she is busy helping student writers as an English Instructor at Rowan Cabarrus Community College. Her most adamant advice to students who want to improve their writing – and specifically their poetry -- is, well, quite simple.

“Read!” Carty exclaimed. “Seriously…read a lot of poetry. Read all kinds of prose as well. Also get out there and listen to other poets.” 

Carty is quick to point out that she follows her own advice. When her inspiration slows, she gets busy reading and listening.

 “I've actually been going through a bit of a dry spell lately, but I think I'm coming out of it,” Carty said. “I come out of those periods of rest by reading excellent writing and by hearing other writers read their work.” 

The obvious question, then, is who does she read?  What poets does she enjoy? Though the question might be obvious, Carty’s answer is not as straightforward.

“That's a really hard question for me to answer because I read a lot in print and online,” she said. “I am a big fan of a plethora of NC poets but I feel bad just naming one or two!”  (To learn more about Jessie Carty’s favorite poetry, purchase her books, or hear her read from her own work, visit www.jessiecarty.com.)

Even with the demands of her teaching schedule, Carty manages to find time to work on her own writing. And her old school approach to first drafts works to her advantage.

“I can pretty much write anywhere since I tend to start work in a notebook,” Carty explained. “Most of the time I will write at night after classes. I can then type those up later -- but I also find time to write in between classes if an idea comes to me. I do, however, prefer to do revision in a quiet room at the computer.”

 Looking back over the past 10 years, Carty – who completed her BA in English at UNC-Greensboro -- recognizes that her writing continues to develop and change.

“I actually had a large gap where I wasn’t writing so I've only been back actively writing and revising since 2006,” she said. “So I find my writing constantly changing. I do have a definite love of narrative poems, but I have also found myself diving into more surreal prose poetry lately. It is nice to challenge yourself.” 

For Carty, being a poet and a teacher is an opportunity to witness the power and beauty of language.

“Poetry has such a terrific long tradition and I think it is important to look back while you are looking forward,” she said. “We have such an amazingly versatile language with English.”

Jessie Carty has been enjoying that versatility since those bus rides home from kindergarten. 

Bill Diskin is director of admission and financial aid at Cannon School in Concord. He can be reached at wdiskin@cannonschool.org.