Rody Gorman
Where and when were you born?
Dublin, Ireland, 1st January 1960.
Could you tell us something about your background?
Middle-class suburban of country parents.
Were either of your parents or grandparents (or any other relatives) writers? If not, were any of your relatives actively interested in literature?
Not writers. Old songs. Parents interested in literature.
Are any of your siblings writers or involved in a
creative profession?
No.
What was the first poem (or who was the first poet) that turned you on to poetry?
Yeats.
What age were you when you first began writing poetry, and did you receive any encouragement?
16.
When you started writing poetry did you have dreams about becoming a "professional" poet? If so, did anyone advise you against this course of action?
No.
Did you ever get a poem published in your school
magazine?
Yes. "The Land of Highest Art" in St. Benildus
School Magazine, 1977.
Did you go to university, and if so, which subject(s) did
you study?
Yes. Celtic Studies.
When did you first start submitting to poetry magazines? And can you tell us how many rejections you received before having something accepted for publication?
1994. Ratio of 20 rejections to 1 acceptance.
What was the worst rejection you ever received?
Something from Peter Fallon.
What was your first published poem? Which poetry magazine published it? And what year was it published?
Can’t remember.
Round about the time that you started seriously writing poetry, who were your literary heroes? And would you say they had an influence on your writing style?
Changes all the time. This week it’s Cevat Capan.
Have you ever attended a creative writing course or been involved in a writers' group? If so, did you find it useful?
Yes.
When did you put together your first collection of poetry?
1996. "Fax and Other Poems".
How long did it take to get it accepted for publication? And, if appropriate, how many times was it rejected?
Not long. It was accepted by three publishers. Published
by Polygon.
How long did you have to wait between acceptance and
final publication?
Six months.
What sort of critical response did you receive?
General acceptance.
Would you say that your publisher actively promoted the
book?
Did you do readings and signings at bookshops to help promote the book? If so, did you organise these yourself, or were they organised by your publisher? And would you say that they had a significant effect on sales figures?
Yes, through the publisher. No.
How many copies of the book sold?
Couple of hundred.
Is it still in print?
No.
At the beginning of your writing career did you enter any poetry competitions? Did you enter a lot or just a few? Did you have any success? And, with hindsight, what are your thoughts about the relative merits or demerits of poetry competitions?
Which of your poetry books has been the most successful in terms of sales, and how many copies has it sold to date?
Have you won any awards for your poetry?
Yes.
Do you make a living out of poetry?
No.
If not, do you make an adequate living through poetry related activities such as teaching creative writing workshops? Or do you have to supplement your income through unrelated activities?
I work as a translator.
With the benefit of hindsight, are you glad that you pursued your dream of being a poet? Also, if you could turn the clock back, would you do anything different?
Yes.
If a young would-be poet approached you, which poets would you recommend as vital reading?
Milosz, Holub, Amichai for starters.
Which poetry magazines would you recommend him or her to
subscribe to?
Poetry London, PN Review, Poetry Review.
Assuming that this would-be poet showed some promise, would you advise him or her to pursue a "career" in poetry?
No.
If so, what further advice would you give him or her?
Be a footballer.
Finally (and extremely hypothetically), you are selected to appear on the hit reality TV show, "Desert Island Poets", where you are marooned on a tropical island for three months with a typewriter and several reams of paper. You are provided with all necessary provisions, but you are only allowed to take three books with you. Your appearance fee is more than you could hope to earn in a decade and the show is so popular that all previous participants have become best-selling poets. So, would you participate? And if so, which three books would you take with you?
I already live on an island. I couldn’t live on just 3
books.
See: Rody Gorman's
detailed bio
Return to: What Makes
Poets Tick?
Return to: Main Menu