Janet Grace Riehl is an award-winning author, blogger, and conference presenter living in St. Louis. Sightlines: A Poet's Diary, told in story poems, was recently made into an audio book Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poetry and Music. Twice selected as finalist for Poet Laureate of Lake County, California and a member of Authors Guild, her poems, stories and essays are published in national literary magazines and several anthologies.
In the first of two interviews, Janet Riehl shares how writing poetry created a path to a new life of publishing and giving workshops to help others connect with their own creativity.
From an "Inner Nudge" to a New Life Path
Suite 101: Your book Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary, dedicated to your sister Julia, who died in a car accident in 2002, connected with many people coast to coast. Tell us about the evolution of the book and the changes it made in your life.
Riehl: On my first birthday after Julia’s death, I went on a solitary retreat where I received an inner nudging that seemed to want to lead me to what I needed to do: “Clearing/during this quiet time.” It was like the Buddhist prayer that says: "May I be blessed into usefulness."
When I returned home to help my father care for my mother, I knew that I’d write a book of poems about all that had flooded into my life that first year without Julia. I wrote every morning before I went downstairs to help Mother. That small "nudge" grew into 90 poems that formed the five sections of Sightlines.
I’m still in awe in writing and sharing Sightlines, as it feels as though the book loves me as it reaches out to touch others. So much kindness has come from the friends of the book. After writing it, a new path lay before me: first as an author, then blogger, followed by speaker and workshop leader. Sightlines won a DIY (Do It Yourself) award in 2007.
Audio-Book
Suite 101: Sightlines is now an audio-book Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poetry and Music. How did you create it? What has the response been?
Riehl: At Sightlines readings I included music. Audiences encouraged me to record Sightlines because my voice and the music enriched their understanding of the poems. Before a Nashville trip to visit two blogging buddies, it popped into my mind, “Hey, Nashville!” This was the time! We recorded music, banter, and stories in my father’s parlor. Then I recorded the poems in Nashville in my sound engineer’s home studio.
During last summer’s blog tour for the audio book, over 20 bloggers hosted me. On Blogging Authors ( bit.ly/aEi8oQ), you’ll find a good summary, complete with videos, of the six steps to make and produce and audio book.
The four CDs of Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poetry and Music expand the book. Clips from 40 songs...seven original works by my father . . . bookend the original 90 poems. This version of Sightlines received an honorable mention in the audio/spoken word category at the San Francisco Book Festival.
Writing Workshops
Suite 101: Describe the connections you have made with others during workshops and talks you have presented.
Riehl: Sightlines is a memoir told in story poems. The first year after the poetry book came out I gave talks and church services on themes woven by its 90 poems. The story poem form plus universal themes of family, home, memory, and loss makes it easy to connect to people.
My workshops "Write Your Way Through Grief," "Always Coming Home," "Story Poems: Tool for Powerful Writing," and "Family Stories in Poetry, Prose, and Music" hit a chord whether the participants consider themselves writers or not. My goal is to demystify creativity and writing practice. I want to learn more in the company of others about full-hearted living.
Links:
Interview 2; Janet Riehl: Creativity and Community
Janet's website: www.riehlife.com
Sightlines: A Poet's Diary amzn.to/do2Mug,
Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poetry and Music www.cdbaby.com/cd/janetgraceriehl
Sources:
Riehl, Janet, Sightlines: A Poet's Diary, iUniverse, 2006Riehl, Janet Sightlines: A Family Love Story in Poetry and Music, Independent project copyrighted by Janet Grace Riehl 2008. Manufactured and printed by Disc Makers, Pennsauken, NJ
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