Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester is happy to shine our Friday spotlight on children’s book poet Robert Schechter. Bob, could you please tell us briefly a little about yourself and your writing? How would you like us to introduce you?
I write poems for children, but I try to do so in a way that adults will enjoy as well. It is my hope that children who enjoy my poems will never outgrow them, but enjoy and remember them all their lives. One of the nicest compliments I have received for my poems was from School Library Journal. In giving my book of children’s poetry a coveted “starred review,” and listing it as one of the best children’s books of the year, School Library Journal said that these are poems “to grow up with.”
Where can people find your work? (Besides Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester–though they should totally check here first!)
Most independent bookstores that you find in your neighborhood or online can order my book, The Red Ear Blows Its Nose: Poems for Children and Others. You can also order the book directly from the publisher, Word Galaxy. Wherever you purchase the book, I would be happy to send you a signed bookplate upon request. Just drop me a message through my website, http://bobschechter.com
My book is also in hundreds of libraries. If it’s not in yours, please ask your librarian to order a copy or two.
How can we follow your work and share your awesomeness?
My poems appear from time to time in Highlights for Children, Cricket, Ladybug, Spider, The School Magazine, The Caterpillar, and various anthologies. I also have several manuscripts in process that I hope will be published in the coming years. But my current book, The Red Ear Blows Its Nose: Poems for Children and Others, has almost 100 of my best poems, and the best way to share my awesomeness is to buy the book or take it out from the library!
For readers unfamiliar with your work, how would you describe what you write? What can readers expect from The Red Ear Blows Its Nose: Poems for Children and Others?
I think Booklist described it better than I can:
“Though the title of Schechter’s first poetry collection may conjure associations with the Jack Prelutsky brand and all its fun absurdities—and while this book’s general format mirrors that, as well—you may find something a bit different here. The playfulness is certainly still present, as it should be, but for the most part, Schechter’s poetry is grounded in reality, and the silly conceits are always rooted in a second, more meaningful layer. The tone leans less toward the absurd and more toward the wry, with entries often leading readers to some kind of truth or realization, typically through an effective punchline. The result is a rich experience as a whole. The poetry thrives on legitimately clever wordplay, interesting use of perspective, and even existential exploration.”
What piece of advice would you want to share with other writers?
Never publish anything you’re not proud of.
What else can we expect from you in the near future?
I have several picture books and poetry collections that I hope to publish. You’ll also see poems of mine in various anthologies and magazines.
What are some of your writing-related hobbies, crafts, addictions?
In addition to children’s poetry (my main passion), I also write light verse for adults, and I translate adult poems from Spanish and German. One of my translations won the Willis Barnstone Translation Prize, and one of my poetic parodies won the XJ Kennedy Parody Award.
What does your writing space look like? What do you need to have around you while writing or editing?
All I need is privacy and a desktop computer.
While you’re writing, do you prefer music, silence, other? Please elaborate!
I prefer silence when I’m writing. The poem itself needs to create its own music with its rhythm and sounds, and as I write I need to listen carefully to determine whether the music is coming through and is appropriate to what’s being said. If I had someone else’s music playing in the background, I don’t think I could properly attend to the musical demands of what I’m writing. When I’m working on a poem, I want the music to come from the words of the poem, not from an external source, and I want my focus to be entirely on the poem I’m trying to create.
What do you consider the most challenging part of the writing process? And how do you overcome that?
Knowing when a poem is done. A draft of a poem may come relatively quickly, and I may be pleased with it to a certain extent, but then I ask myself: Can I make it better? Is every word and line pulling its weight? I may end up returning to the poem dozens of times over the course of months or years, reading it over and over again in various moods and with various tones of voice, until finally I zero in on a word or a line that I suddenly know how to make better. That single change may take an okay poem and turn it into an excellent one. In most cases, I spend a lot less time on the first draft than I do reading and rereading the poem until I’m finally satisfied how it came out.
What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned, thus far, in your writing career?
Writing a poem is among the most satisfying things I can do, but also among the most frustrating. Being frustrated and satisfied at the same time is the sort of contradiction that can lead to good poetry.
Are there any groups, clubs, or organizations that you would recommend to other writers that have helped you in your career?
Nothing in particular. Just find other like-minded individuals who share your passion. Join workshops, local writers’ organizations, social media writers’ groups, and anything else you can think of, where you can be a writer among writers. Your fellow writers understand you, support you, and are an endless source of advice and encouragement.
Thanks for taking the time to answer so many of our questions, Bob! And good luck with The Red Ear Blows Its Nose: Poems for Children and Others.