Nigerian poet and author of In Search of Equilibrium, Theresa Lola, believes a poem is complete when she is both unsettled and at peace: ‘If I am purely unsettled, the poem would be unbearable for me to talk about publicly, and if I’m only at peace, then the poem has played it too safe. So, for me, the poem has to be both.’
First Draft is our interview column, featuring authors and other prominent figures on books, reading, and writing.
Our questions are italicized.
If your life at this moment was a line from a poem, what poem would that be and what line?
In the poem Transformation Adam Zagajewski (translated by Clare Cavanagh) writes:
I’ve taken long walks,
craving one thing only:
lightning,
transformation,
you.
Lately, I walk a longer route to the train station. I use the time to surreptitiously recite poems, sing with my terrible shower voice, and pray. You can walk the same route multiple times, but the exact walk cannot be duplicated, something changes; a step, your mind, your mood, the pace. For me, each new walk is a practice at transformation. Speaking out increases my gratitude for the power our small voices have in this colossal world, while having a stop point, a destination to press toward gives me purpose.
What is your writing process: edit as you write or draft first, then edit?
I write first then edit. No matter how much clarity I think I have about what the poem should be, I resist the urge to perfect it immediately. For me it’s an act of faith, knowing that my thinking and ideas will expand beyond that moment, and inevitably develop the poem.
Lately, I walk a longer route to the train station. I use the time to surreptitiously recite poems, sing with my terrible shower voice, and pray.
Following your debut, In Search of Equilibrium, how did your approach change in writing your forthcoming collection, Ceremony for the Nameless?
This collection was more heavily galvanized by research—from essays, proverbs, films, and songs. The writing often came much later. Yoruba is a tonal and melodious language, so the poems generally utilize the sound of words as meaning. Though my book covers a range of other themes—from relationships to artistic identity, and power—the regard for musicality is a way of approaching poems from a language that is part of my root.
Yoruba naming ceremonies served as the initial inspiration for this book. Yoruba children tend to have several names; did you consider any other names for your collection?
The previous title was ‘Naming Ceremonies for the Nameless’, but as the book became concerned with other time spans and themes, the title needed to feel less restrictive.
Which book did you enjoy in the last year and wish more people knew about?
A Small Silence by Jumoke Verissimo. Though this novel was published in 2019, it was a poignant tale, addressing the frustrations of activism and mental health.
What’s the last book you gifted someone?
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. There’s also a film adaptation by Ava DuVernay called Origin! That should indicate how captivating and revealing this non-fiction book is.
What is the most meaningful piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?
In an interview, Roger Reeves talks about line breaks as apocalyptic because they are simultaneously an ending and a beginning, so to experience it we must be willing to rupture. It has changed the way I look at line breaks and how they can disrupt my initial plans for the narrative and shift the experience for the reader.
No matter how much clarity I think I have about what the poem should be, I resist the urge to perfect it immediately.
What’s the worst thing/advice to tell a poet?
‘Only read poems.’ I think people, not just poets, should explore widely. You never really know where inspiration is.
Question from Kemi Alabi: How do you know a work is complete?
I know a poem is complete when I am both unsettled and at peace. If I am purely unsettled, the poem would be unbearable for me to talk about publicly, and if I’m only at peace, then the poem has played it too safe. So, for me, the poem has to be both.
Bonus: Please suggest a question for a future author’s First Draft
Are there poems you never intend to publish? If so, what’s the relationship between what you reserve as public versus private?
Which poet should we interview next?
Adedayo Agarau⎈
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