Kendrick Loo
ORP: What inspired you to begin writing or creating? Has that source of inspiration changed throughout your life?
Kendrick Loo: Shame probably lies at the origin of my poetry. Growing up in a Christian family, I didn't feel like I was allowed to have the life I wanted: whether that be a crush, a boyfriend, or a family. It is a terrible thing, to have these life-changing experiences distorted by fear. When I look back at my first poems, I see my desire to turn shame into something I could understand. Now, my poems require me to arrive at a place beyond shame, or permit myself to live without it.
ORP: What does success as a writer or artist mean to you?
KL: I'm happiest when a poem emerges with a certain measure, distance, or perspective. Most of my drafts do not achieve this; they tangle in editing and never gather resonance. Still, if I can return to a poem and see the workings of my earlier self, then I have at least captured what Eavan Boland's calls memory's "flawed translucence".
ORP: What books have you read many times?
KL: Crush by Richard Siken has followed me across multiple countries, and was the first book I packed into my suitcase when I knew I was going to live with my husband in the Netherlands.
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?
KL: Just as a painter goes outside to paint en plein air, or a pianist practices their scales, I believe that poets will benefit from engaging with and trying their hand at poetic forms.