An interview with Mischa Willett. He discusses some early moments with poetry in high school. We discuss how to enter into the poetry space as a Christian. Mischa reads two soon to be published poems.
About Mischa Willett – Mischa is a specialist in British Literature of the Nineteenth-Century, particularly the poetry of writers such as William Wordsworth, Percy Shelley, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, though he often teaches Shakespeare and the History of Drama as well. Recently, his interest in the aesthetic movements of the period has caused him to engage the curious school of poets known as the “Spasmodics.” Consisting of mostly working-class writers from the north of Britain, the Spasmodics are the most popular writers that most people have never heard of.
As a poet, he is interested in the pliability of formal structures and in making verse informed by historical Christianity and the past of classical antiquity. He also writes poetic translations from Italian, German, and Greek.
His essays range from topics such as Native American spirituality, to the theology of action movies; from university pedagogy, to Italian painting.
When he is not thinking about, teaching, or writing poetry, Willett can be found worshiping with his family in the local Anglican church, perusing the shelves of Seattle’s many excellent book and record stores, or watching one of his wife’s ballets.
[bio from Seattle Pacific University website]
About Mike Rippy – Mike has worked in the art museum industry for over 20 years and the visual arts for over 30. Through LGTG, Mike will be sharing his own burgeoning journey into a deeper understanding of poetry so that others who may be curious but intimidated by the medium may feel less apprehensive.
