Lit eZine Vol 3 | p-22 | AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT | Interview with Arthur Turfa

We bring to you our featured writer Arthur Turfa
with two of his short poems
and his article
GEMINI: A Contemplation of Duality and My Love for Literature
plus
AN INTERVIEW with Arthur Turfa

INTERVIEW

TALKING TO Arthur Turfa

Lit eZine’s Interview Guest in this issue is poet, writer and teacher Arthur Turfa.

You are quite an extensive writer and have a varied body of work. What marks the beginning of your writing, whether published or unpublished? What, in your opinion, have been the major influences in your progress as a writer?

In high school, I realized that I was to going to make my mark as a musician. I then turned to writing lyrics. Bernie Taupin and the late Keith Reid are two poets I envy very much!

As I read novels, I wanted to write them. However, a more practical goal for me first was working as a journalist. I was editor-in-chief of my high school paper, worked on my university daily paper (eventually as a columnist) and was Fine Arts Director at the campus radio station.

I received good feedback on my writing and noticed that people saw it as one of my strengths. In graduate school, I began to write in a more scholarly manner, which of course was not for a wider audience. In seminary I found a mixture of the scholarly and the practical; sermons were for a wider audience.

When I started writing poetry again twenty years ago, I realized that everything had prepared me for doing so. My careers in civilian and military areas, ministry, education, and travel gave me a wealth of experience.

Major influences on me have been those whom I have read. Authors/poets/writers who do not read anyone else delude themselves. From reading contemporary poets, I have developed some good connections and friendships with gifted poets/writers who encourage me to keep going as I have been and to expand the horizons of my poetry/writing. Being in the South Carolina Artists Association has benefitted me greatly. I also was in the Tupelo Press’ 30/30 Project in December 2020, where we wrote a poem every day.

As a teacher, does your writing help you to connect with students better or do you keep your writer and teacher personalities separate from each other?

My teaching career has given me inspiration for a few poems and writing in other genres. In addition, my writing career has made me a better teacher. I can speak about how I view creativity and have a better insight into someone whom we read in class. When students develop an appreciation for literature in any genre in my class, I am thrilled beyond words.

What do you think would be the state of the world if, for one year, every head of the state was a poet? 

It would be interesting. Plato wanted philosopher-kings to rule. Unless poets had some other career/expertise, this would be a disaster. Yeats held office in the early Irish Republic, but I cannot think of anyone else who comes close. Very few heads of state are decent orators. Their ranching into poetry would only debase that genre. Most poets would be disasters as heads of state. Poets spend a lot of time thinking about what could be. Nevertheless, they do not know how to translate that into actually happening.

That is an interesting viewpoint. What would be the ideal world for you as a poet and writer? How far do you think your writing life and world are from this ideal?

Quite honestly, I would like to do some more readings and be on some more panels. I have had my share, but today the entire scene appears to be in thrall to whatever the current trend is. So if they want someone who is X, and you are Not X, you can forget it. Being desired regardless of ability or talent seems to be more important.

However, I really do not waste much time thinking about it. I have had some success, and am not going to ignore everything and everyone else in my life to go all over the place. I know people who either do that or come close to that, and I wonder if they are happy. I have my niche, it changes every so often, as do the people in it, and it is good.

Imagine that you are in the middle of writing a very difficult part that you think is finally falling together. For what other pursuit would you gladly drop your writing for the moment without a second thought?

I would gladly do something with my family, whether it was fun or something as mundane as running errands or preparing a meal. Walking our dog would be pleasurable. There is no forcing creativity.

Is it fair to make a distinction between an author and a writer? Why do you think so?

This discussion has been going on for some time. A professor of mine once asked rhetorically what we would read if we had a choice between Thomas Mann and the Los Angeles Times. I might have been the only one to answer, and it shocked him when I said if I wanted to know the weather or the score of the game, I would not read Buddenbrooks.

   My wife is a former journalist, and I taught Journalism in two high schools. Writing has many different dimensions and purposes. Journalists can be good writers. My dream job earlier in my life was to be a newspaper/magazine columnist.

   Such a distinction is fair if it acknowledges that there is room for excellence for authors and writers. For several years, I taught out of a college textbook titled Everyone’s An Author. I never shared what I thought of the title. It’s perfectly fine not to be an author. Writing Across the Curriculum made a good point; we all need to communicate no matter what we do for a living or pleasure.

What has been your most hurtful experience as a writer? 

Realizing that not everyone you meet along the way is going to be fair. I obtained the rights to one of my books due to some issues with the publisher. Almost half of the poets/writers associated with the publisher did so as well. I believed in my work and put it out myself.

Let’s talk about how you work. Do you have a timeline to complete a project before you begin or is it more fluid? Do you often start a few different ones together or do you like to focus on and complete one first before jumping into the next?

When I was fully employed, my time was of course limited, so things took longer. While not completely retired, timelines are more flexible. I usually have a few projects going, Poems can and do always happen. The novel and short stories require more planning, but I handle simultaneous projects well. If I ever do branch into historical fiction, then I would need to do some research.

What work from you are we hoping to read in the near future? 

I might have one more full-length poetry book in me. Short stories give me pleasure, and I would like to do more with them. Some readers have asked for a sequel to my novel, and I have a novella in the works but do not know how that will turn out. In addition, I have been doing some reviews, mainly for Tupelo Press.

A word of advice to writers who are just getting established…

No matter what, keep reading others and being inspired. Find people who support you, and who will also expand what you write and how you write it. Negative people should be ignored and avoided as much as possible. Do not waste time on them.

That is indeed wise advice. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Arthur. It was wonderful talking to you!