Dan Provost is a writer and coach from Worcester, MA. He could very well be one of the nicest men you will ever meet. He is a man unafraid to wear the rawest parts of himself on his sleeve for everyone to see, touch, and experience. He is no stranger to the darkness in himself that most of us so often deny.
Dan is an avid reader who has been publishing in the small press for years, always supporting new writers through reading and promotion and lending his hard earned wisdom. It is my pleasure to share with you this candid interview with Dan Provost.
-Aleathia Drehmer
AD: You grew up in a household heavily laced with music and athletics. How do you think this has affected your outlook on the world as a child and as an adult? Do you think these things influence your writing and if they do, in what way?
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. Pete Townsend–who wrote songs on so many different levels, about subjects like growing up, isolation, and fame, is one of my favorites. Ronnie Van Zant, who very quietly, but honestly, sang about gun control, the environment, and the frustration of a stereotyped south that lingers to this day.
Athletics was and still is a huge part of my life. My family is very competitive and sports give all of us a venue to play, work, and achieve. Football was my sport and I still think there is nothing on the face of the earth that will tell you more about yourself than football (except if you join the military). Think about it, you play the game with 15-20 pounds of equipment on, games take place in any type of weather, (believe me it is not fun to be out there in 100 degree heat or -15 degree wind chill), the practices are long and somewhat tedious–and you have that one day where you have the opportunity to see if all that practice time was worth it…the game on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. I think I took from the game two important values that I try to live by: one is to never quit; the easiest thing in life is to give up and go lie in the sand somewhere …that accomplishes nothing. The second is to let the ability do the talking for you. I admire individuals like Barry Sanders, Bill Russell, and Michael Jordan… who simply let their playing speak for themselves. I have tried to incorporate this attitude in writing poetry, letting the words speak. I realize that this naïve, but it is something I believe in.
AD: You talk about letting the work speak for itself, but why do you think that is naive? There is an underlying theme of covert observation of the human public and often raw emotional reactions to other people that sometimes become self-inflicted wounds. What do you find so fascinating about these people in the periphery of the world’s eyes?
The naive part I was referring to is the project of marketing the work. Telling the “in-crowd” that you have a new blog up, or a new chapbook out by so and so. I know this is necessary in order to get recognized, but for me personally, I really have to go outside myself to do this. Let’s face it; poetry is not the most popular art out there. So the ability to reach an audience that might be able to relate to what you are saying has to be found by spreading the word. Poets are very observant people. They see emotions from the loner, the guilty, the poor and the forgotten that many others just pass on by daily. The tears of a barfly father who has not seen his son in ten years, the wife whose husband left five years ago and she cannot get over the loss. People who have given up for some reason or another–they feel, they desire, they want…but they express it in such destructive ways sometimes the non-writer has to turn away. Sometimes, my work tries to understand the pain of the lonesome and the isolated. I try to emphasize this because my life has been filled with self-isolation and pain trying to come out nine ways sideward. I guess in some warped way, I can identify with the loner.
AD: What kind of work touches you the most? What poets, both famous and not, really reach out to you when you read them and change the way you perceive society and the universe as a whole?
Work that is real…when you read it you can tell it’s been written from the soul. John Sweet is one of my favorites. He takes the reader to places he does not want to go…he makes you think about subjects that many refuse to talk about; the certainty of evil, man’s violent nature. Jacob Johanson is another great writer who writes blunt, but can be taken on so many levels. I can relate to him when he talks about the gains and losses in his life. Jason Hardung and John Dorsey are two more I really like. Jason describes his daily battles with force and urgency while John takes characters and elements of today’s society and intertwines them with his own search for discovery.
AD: I find that Dan Provost the man and Dan Provost the writer tend to be juxtaposed. As a man, you seem easygoing and even jovial, but your writing leans towards this dark and sometimes menacing shadow of a man. Why do you think this schism exists? Do you channel these fits of rage into words, instead of into something physically harmful?
DP: I think everyone has a dark side inside them that they either refuse to acknowledge or let out. I choose to do this through my words. I admit, I was a bit of a red-neck in my younger days, hung out in places I should not have been; been in a few scuffles. These were places where violence and hatred were celebrated and necessary. Football is a great, yet physical game where if you cannot match the intensity and aggressiveness of your opponent–you’re going to get kicked around the field. I’ve also suffered severe bouts of depression…something I would not wish on my worst enemy. To put these emotions into words sometimes helps the healing process or at least recognize the dankness I am feeling.
AD: It just so happens that you and I will be book mates this year when our 69 Flipbook is released from Tainted Coffee Press. Your collection is called “A Quiet Learning Curve”. Can you tell me a little bit about the underlying theme of this collection and how it came to be?
DP: Many of the poems are about observations of myself; the strengths, weaknesses, and the core beliefs I possess. They came to me very quietly and gently, by just looking outside myself and seeing how I relate to people and events. I found that a series of poems I wrote in the same time period were very reflective and revealing. It’s an honor to be published with such a talented writer as you!
AD: Thank you, you are too kind to say so. Do you think these types of poems will surprise your regular readers? Are they very different from what most us are used to seeing from you?
DP: I think they may be a bit more reflective and positive than what I’ve done in the past. Like I mentioned earlier, I’m getting older; I’m much more mellow than I use to be! LOL
AD: I often contemplate, to myself, the effects of environment and region on a writer’s work. Do you think a writer’s surroundings influences how and what they write, even on a subconscious level? Do you find living in a larger city gives your poems a predilection to urban experience?
DP: I do believe that the environment affects the body of a writer’s work. If it’s territory that the writer is not accustomed to, he/she will comment about the adjustment he/she is trying to make, or the loneliness of being away from familiar surroundings. Fortunately, this can work in a positive way as well. If you live somewhere that you love, many times the words will reflect this. Describing beautiful nature or the sunset over a city skyline…described in many styles by wonderful authors. As far as my writing, the city of Worcester has provided me the opportunity to witness many lifestyles, both good and bad. My latest chapbook “Fallen Empathy” tells of some of the seedier parts of the city and my reaction to encountering the individuals who lived there.
AD: Lastly, what is your favorite song lyric and why?
DP: Great, but tough question. So many to choose from!!!! I guess it would be a line from the song “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd: “All that you need, is in your soul.” Individuals who put their soul into anything are usually successful.