Alfred Fournier
ORP:What does success as a writer or artist mean to you?
Alfred Fournier: For me being a writer means being part of a community, a conversation, a continuum. I wouldn’t have gotten very far without the support of other writers I’ve met in the Phoenix area. I see writing as a conversation. Many of my poems are inspired by or written in response to other writers—contemporaries and writers from the past. A goal in my work is to be part of that ongoing conversation, and hopefully to contribute a fresh perspective.
ORP: Who do you consider to be your creative ancestors and contemporaries for your art and/or writing? How does your creative work converse with theirs?
AF: I would start with E.E. Cummings and Walt Whitman from high school poetry class. From them I learned lyricism, the importance of sound, and a sense of ecstatic expansiveness. More recently Robert Bly, with his interest in exploring spiritual and inner depths, and a gift for leaping from subject to subject. I also love Mary Oliver, Li-Young Lee, Ada Limón and Ross Gay, to name a few.
ORP: What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing or creating? What advice would you give to another writer or artist?
AF: Two things: write every day and read contemporary writers. I know not every writer subscribes to the need for daily writing, but for me, that habit and commitment has kept me on track. Like many, I have a full time job and a family. It's surprising how those daily minutes and hours add up to weeks of writing across the span of a year. There are so many amazing writers out there now: poets, essayists, novelists and journalists. Something for everyone. And so many issues of our time that urgently demand a response. Reading widely can add colors to your palate and stimulate endless ideas for new pieces and projects.
ORP: What do you hope readers (or your audience) will take away from your creative work?
AF: Something I couldn’t possibly predict.
