Thief of Laughter is an intimate and evocative collection of poetry that lays bare the fragility of identity, memory, and family while embodying faith in humanity that struggles to make sense of everyday carnage, yet manages to find solace in spite of it. What inspired you to write this particular collection of poems?

I wish I could answer this question the way Rachmanioff did about what inspired him to write one of his piano concertos: “I wanted to buy a car.” But for me, inspiration isn’t so straightforward (or humorous), partly because I don’t really need inspiration to write. I need time, early mornings, when everyone is asleep, when there are no interruptions. These poems were written over 50 years. Many are short narratives – some autobiographical, some not, and some a blending of the two. Sometimes I can’t avoid writing about something seen or experienced. It can be a single word, a casual remark, or an event that hounds me until I have to sit down and work on it and find out why. 

How did you decide on the themes that run throughout your poetry book?

No decision was ever made. The various themes of the book arrived on their own, and told me where to go with them. 

Were there any poets or other writers who influenced your work on this collection?

Dozens of them. I was very fortunate to have great teachers and colleagues along the way. A lot of generosity, kindness, humor and smarts. I think all of these people come through in these poems. If there were one book though that guided me through all these years, it was Nabokov’s SPEAK MEMORY.

How has this poetry book changed you as a writer, or what did you learn about yourself through writing it?

I learned why it’s necessary to be a good person. That you don’t really have a choice, because living the alternative is a form of self-destruction. By writing, you begin to see things more clearly – it documents perception, understanding, and temperament. Over years, you not only see who you were, but how you got to where you are now.

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