Stone-skipping with Gregory Woods

Gregory Woods is a very intriguing poet. 

I was not only intrigued by his refreshingly blunt sense of humour, but also by the topics he addresses. The poems he read at Cultural Exchanges responded to war, homosexuality, and parenthood. 

What I liked about the poems he read was the range of people featured. While many concerned the subject of oppression, the poems could be about or in the voice of anyone: a jury-member, a son, a teacher - even a god!

Towards the end of his talk he acknowledged many people might not like his work. Even he didn't like some of his work! But on the other hand, many people buying his books might love a poem of his that he dislikes. 

 

This was very inspiring, as it taught me you shouldn't be afraid of people hating your work. In fact, you should be glad they feel anything at all for it.

Greg noted, "Sometimes the best poems are the ones we hate!" 

Inducing emotions in a reader is like stone-skipping. It takes skill and feels great when you've done it.

If you're interested in Gregory Woods' poems, his collections An Ordinary Dog is a great start.
Or check out his website: www.gregorywoods.co.uk/ 

 

G.E. Knight