Kim Addonizio 3

KIM ADDONIZIO: I feel like sometimes I'm really in the flow. And when I'm in a sort of flow state, they come-- ideas come from everywhere. And almost-- I'll just be writing and look around and find exactly what I need for a poem or a story.

Other times, it takes a lot more. A lot of times I read to trigger myself. I think that's true with a lot of writers. They read. And something in that set something going, and I get like, oh, I never thought about writing about that, or that's a really cool rhythm, or that's a really cool image, and that'll get me sort of inspired to try something.

The other thing I like to do is go look at art, because I don't know a lot about art. And it's nonverbal. There are no words. And so I like that. I can have an experience that doesn't involve thinking, in a way. And that sometimes moves my mind kind of sideways and gives me some kind of way to enter that poetic space that is not like ordinary reality.