The Next Big Thing

Generally, when Jessica Smith says to do something, it's best to do it.

What is the title of your book? 

Your Relationship to Motion Has Changed. It was going to be Relationship to Motion but Kate Schapira said the whole thing was much better. 

Who is the publisher of your book?

There isn't one yet and I'm losing hope. It's a manuscript, point of fact and not a "book."

What genre does your book fall under?

Poems. Longer poems. Ten of them. Helen Vendler would say "meditative," but that's unfair to the poems and over-inflates Vendler.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

We go nowhere all the time.

What inspired you to write this book/where did the idea for the book come from?

Lots of things. A general feeling of mehness; a sense of detachment. I wanted to write longer poems because I got so used to writing and publishing short poems that I wanted to challenge myself to keep it going.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Just a few weeks. It was for my M.F.A. thesis, so I got through pretty quick, which I hope isn't too obvious. I suppose I don't dwell on a project much, though I seem to be of late.

What are your influences for this book / what other books would you compare this book to within your genre?

Heidegger's essays that are collected in Poetry, Language and Thought, Ashbery's lingering lines, Ceravolo as always, and of course Forrest Gander's guiding hand. I don't want to compare it to anyone else's book because I don't want to hurt any feelings.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

It would be a graphic novel, surely. But if it were made into a film, Patrick Fischler might be a good candidate.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

I like to think they are poems you have to sink into. You don't gloss over them quick- they are dense and not something that spits you out too quickly on the other end. Maybe that would appeal to some readers.