John Swain
John Swain is the author of several books of poetry, most recently “Handing The Cask” from UK based erbacce press. You can order it here.
LA: When did you first call yourself a poet, or describe yourself this way? How did it feel, using the term applied to what you do?
JS: The appellation, “Poet,” is to me an honorific, much in the same manner as a title or an esteemed degree, earned through, as you have said before, “the service of words.” While for as long as I can remember I held an inward sense of myself as a poet or rather one who creates or transforms, I could not coronate myself like a tyrant. The term only held legitimacy once it was bestowed by another in recognition of the quality of the work itself and not any mysterious quality in me as a person. Therefore, I struggled toward the name “Poet” like a mask to inhabit. The process is long and full of pain and loneliness and doubt and it still continues. It is also the greatest joy, a dream I strive to live in and maintain and overcome so as to keep discovery anew.
LA: What would you say about how much of your identity it comprises? I know you as a poet, but there is much to know about John Swain, “creator.” What are your other interests, and what might you be interested in exploring in the future? What else are you anxious to try, if anything?
JS: My totality. While I tend to compartmentalize my life and I believe each individual is necessarily comprised of several, even infinite, aspects, these are part of a unified mind-soul-and-body consciousness that flows in and through each other ultimately toward the expression of reinvention and fulfillment. There are many varied points along the way to be investigated, broad as the scope of human experience. Poetry cannot be conceptualized in the economics of Continue Reading…
DP: Being exposed to such a variety of music gave me an opportunity to experience different genres. My grandfather and father were both jazz drummers; they introduced me to George Shearing, Buddy Rich, and Gene Krupa. My brothers, Chip and Tim, were influenced by rock and blues, while my sister Judi, who played the organ and piano–played everything from classical to the Allman Brothers. For me, the lyric content was always the most fascinating and relevant. What was the writer of the lyrics trying to portray and how did he say it? Was he indignant, sly, and boastful? I always admired those who could sing in a way that could relate to the theme of the song. Even today, great lyricists heavily influence my writing. 
LA:When was the first time you can remember calling yourself a writer, describing yourself that way? When did you start writing poetry?