The Monthly talks short form poetry with Roberta Beary – Part 1 – Becoming a writer over a long period of time

Do you have any early memories of writing as your form of personal expression?

I remember writing a poem when I was 9 years old and I showed it to one of the nuns and they were very encouraging. My father wrote poetry and would also read poetry out loud to us. My father and I shared a love of poetry and literature. I carried that on with my son and daughter. I read them “Nonsense Verse” like “Lewis Carroll’s The Walrus and the Carpenter.” or a more serious poem like “Invictus”, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s favourite poem, which encourages individualism.

What about books. Did reading interest you?

I was a great reader of novels at a very young age. I read “Little Women” when I was 9. I remember having a little pocket money and the Church was having a book sale and I bought a used copy of Little Women, a hard cover, which I still have.

I wrote in the book, which I think I copied from my older sister, “This book is not an orphan. Please do not adopt it.” and I signed my name under it in script (cursive).

It sounds like you had some support at home. What about at school?

In high school, when I was a teenager, my teacher asked us to memorise poems in our Honours English class. The Robert Browning poem, “Home Thoughts, From Abroad”, comes to mind. I was the only person in the class who memorised it. I recited the whole poem, which is something I don’t think teachers require now.

Was there anyone who noticed your ability as a writer and encouraged you?

I did write another poem when I was at a Catholic school, taught by The Sisters of Saint Joseph. One of the sisters gave me a poem from the New Yorker which she had cut out. After that, I started reading the New Yorker in the library because I couldn’t afford to buy it.

Reading was encouraged by my mother. She would take me, and sometimes my older brother, to the library, at least once a week. Both my parents worked full-time, so it was always in the evening or on a weekend.

I wouldn’t say there was a lot of support but encouragement certainly.

Did you go on to do literature at College or University?

Yes, I did. I received an undergraduate Degree in English Literature. I was accepted into a Graduate Programme in English at NYU (New York University) but instead I worked for a year, because I realised I couldn’t easily support myself and go to graduate school. But I managed some graduate classes in poetry at Hunter College with poet, John Hollander.

I decided to go to Law School and become a Lawyer and so I went into the Graduate Programme for Law and received a JD (Juris Doctor). Both my parents were lawyers so that was following in their footsteps. I took out loans as I still had no money for tuition.

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After becoming a lawyer what happens to your writing?

Becoming a writer took a very long time. I mean, after Law School, I worked for as a lawyer for 35 years. I married. I would still write. Once I had children I had very little time. If I wanted to write, I would get up early in the morning. Even then, I didn’t send my work out to very many places.

You had to organise to find a space to write?

Yes, but it was always difficult to find time. My divorce was terrible. I was in my early 40’s and a single parent, still working as an attorney. There was lots of turmoil and lots of emotions. I started writing again. I would get up at 2am and write till 5am and then go back to sleep for a little, then get up to take my two children to school.

The less time I had, the more I would create time for writing, but I still didn’t have the confidence to send out my work. I spent a long time developing my craft.

How did you discover short form poetry?

From 1990 to 1995 I lived in Japan with my ex-husband and my two young children. In Tokyo, I discovered haiku. I worked part-time at a Japanese law firm as an attorney-liaison focusing on contracts with overseas’ companies. I continued my study of Japanese.

I noticed that Japan English language newspapers published haiku. They preferred English haiku with a Japanese translation. A Japanese attorney at my office translated my haiku into Japanese, surreptitiously, as Japanese law firms are very work orientated.We talked haiku during our tea breaks.

I left Japan in late 1995 for Washington, DC. A few days before I left, I entered a haiku in Japanese Haiku Society contest, in honour of Basho’s anniversary. When I was settled, I received an email that my contest haiku was awarded an honourable mention. I joined a new haiku group, towpath haiku poets of the Chesepeake, and I did go along to that group’s workshops and meetings, but I didn’t really move forward with my writing because of the divorce, my job, and taking care of my children.

After a few years, older poets often told me to put together a haiku collection, but when you are so busy with life that’s the last thing you want to hear.  As I said earlier, it took a long time for me to focus on my writing.