Check Out Elyse Hart’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elyse Hart.

Hi Elyse, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was nine years old when I first remember expressing myself through poetry. It wasn’t my dream to be a poet, in particular. As a child, I did want to be a writer “when I grew up”, but being more familiar with fiction, I wanted to be a novelist. Turns out I am completely inept at writing fiction, though.

Into my teenage years and young adulthood, I continued to noodle around with poetry as a means of expression. But the farthest I took my interest was my journal. It wasn’t until I was 31 (about five years ago) that I started to take poetry more seriously…by seriously, I mean, writing poetry with the intention of having other people read it.

So, I joined the Wednesday Night Poetry Workshop at Beyond Baroque in Venice and met the group of poets who would help me shape my poetry into what it is now. Several years later, I continued to workshop with some of the same members from that original group. I also honed my skills with other workshops, classes, and personal study.

I got a lot of positive feedback from the Beyond Baroque group and others, so I began submitting my work to journals. Since then, I’ve had 20-odd poems published in journals like Slipstream, Maudlin House, The Nervous Breakdown, The Los Angeles Press, and others. I published my debut chapbook, White Noise Crucible, in 2022 with Bottlecap Press, and self-published my book of ekphrastic poetry in early 2023, Poems for Squares: 29 Instagram Accounts in Verse.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The most successful creatives will tell you to find a daily practice and stick to it. I am more of a “when the mood strikes” kind of writer. Creativity comes in cycles, and I am happy to wait for inspiration to strike.

There is some guilt in that, feeling like I could be writing poetry when I’m dormant, but I try not to take any of this too seriously. I have many interests….for example, I also create music and make clothes. So as long as I’m working toward honing one of my skills, I feel okay.

There’s plenty to do with poetry even when I’m not writing new stuff. I can submit, give readings, take a class, read other people’s poetry, and generally just try to stay active in the community.

Of course, as any writer will discover, one of the biggest challenges is getting your work out there. I’m terrible at submitting…that’s definitely something I could do more of. My last round of submissions did not have any acceptances, which bummed me out. You win some, you lose many.

To circumvent all that, I often turn to Instagram (@elysehartpoetry) for immediate publishing gratification. Some MFA types may find this crass. But if you want people to read your work (which I do), you can just slap it up on the internet where hundreds or thousands may see it.

Yes, there’s mega-validation in seeing my work appear in a journal, but more people will actually read it on Instagram. And then I get to interact with my audience. Both experiences can be rewarding.

My advice to aspiring poets would be to get used to rejection but don’t be discouraged. Make sure you’re getting feedback on your work and keep working toward your goals.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The work I’m most proud of is my chapbook White Noise Crucible (Bottlecap Press). According to the back of the book, White Noise Crucible is a poetic memoir that embraces—in few words—life and death with all its unanswered questions. It is a grasp for human connection that comes up empty, instead turning toward self-realization and inner peace.

The poems in the chapbook tend toward the micro and nod at haiku. The fewer words, the better. It opens with a 12-word poem about the fleeting nature of life and beauty. Some poems are as short as two lines, although some are longer. It reflects my minuscule attention span, as well as the shrinking attention span of most people. The poems in White Noise Crucible are an exercise in getting the message to my audience without taking up too much of their time.

My biggest project has been Poems for Squares: 29 Instagram Accounts in Verse. It is a full-color collection of ekphrastic poetry and photography that takes readers on a journey through the Instagrammable moments of 29 individuals’ lives. Inspired by Instagram photos, the poems offer imaginative interpretations of everything from landscapes to pets to tattoos. I’m working on volume 2, so anyone who would like a poem written about their personal Instagram photos can DM me @elysehartpoetry on Instagram for a chance to appear (it’s free).

Another project that I started and am very, very slowly making progress on is a collection of found poems about reproductive rights. That project has sort of taken the back burner, but it’s something that’s very important to me that I would still love to complete.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I’m out of the loop when it comes to writing culture. I missed AWP, so I’m not sure where the industry is going. I just try to do my thing and hope others will want to listen.

I try to shape my work so that it’s bite-sized and easily manageable for busy people and scroll culture. My poems about Instagram photos are of course very much for the social media age. My found poems about reproductive rights aim to be very timely as well.

If anyone knows where the industry is going…let me know.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elysehart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elysehartpoetry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elysehartpoetry
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/elysehartmusic