If you like poetry like me, you might always be on the lookout for new poetry collections that will resonate with you. Elizabeth Knudson recently published her first poetry collection called Oh, To Be Twenty in the 2020s, and the title alone made me want to read it. She has kindly agreed to do an interview with Prose Before to introduce her book.
Can you introduce yourself?
I’m Elizabeth Knudson, a recent graduate from SUNY Oneonta. I graduated with an English Education degree. When it comes down to it, I love to swim, teach, give, read, and especially write. Writing is an activity that I value to express my emotions, and it is something I will never force. I sit down and let everything flow onto paper.
You have recently published your first poetry collection, Oh, To Be Twenty in the 2020s. Can you tell us about it?
Oh, to be Twenty in the 2020s recognizes the mental, relationship, and identity struggles of young adults shaped by personal and societal events. It is a poetical celebration of life, love, and growth but touches on the hard, genuine, relatable topics of abuse, harm, self-image, and mental illnesses. These poems have been years in the making and present an emotional diary and messages the speaker wishes those they love could understand. Sometimes writing and reading is easier than verbally communicating. For this collection of poems, I give thanks to all those in my life, who went through everything with me, allowed me to see you, and compile experiences into poetry.
What was the publishing process like?
Publishing was something that I was not initially thinking about. For one, it is scary to be truly vulnerable with anyone, let alone the whole world. But I was inspired by a true friend of mine. All in all, self-publishing was not too hard. In the spur-of the moment I collected my poems add meaningful illustrations and went through the process on Amazon to publish.
Which poets would you say are your inspiration? Does anyone you would recommend?
It may sound cliche, but Emily Dickinson, one of the great American poets, is one of my inspirations. She wrote vulnerable material and broke gender norms while doing so. I have also enjoyed Walt Whitman, Matsuo Basho, and Robert Frost.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to write and publish poetry?
My advice for writing poetry is to speak from the heart or to speak from experience because it will sound inauthentic if forced from the hand. If someone is looking to publish poetry, I would say do not be afraid. Poetry is anything you want it to be and therefore will be amazing. The publishing process through Amazon is simple, anyone can do it!
What is your favourite poem that you published?
I am very proud of “Impossible desires for them.” This poem took me a total of ten minutes to write. I feel I was the most in tune with myself while writing.
I like to end interviews by asking for some book recommendations. What are the three books that you will always recommend?
I Don’t Want To Be Crazy by Sarah Schultz
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Folley
A huge thank you to Elizabeth for doing this interview. If you want to read her poems, you can find her book on Amazon and follow her on Instagram (@e.k.author). You can find her poem, To Be Twenty in 2020 below!
Interview by Juliette @a_spoonful_of_juliette
All pictures belong to Elizabeth Knudson @e.k.author
Buy Oh, To Be Twenty in the 2020s here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XZRHMJ1?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
