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Ariel Brand
Grade: 12
School:Glastonbury High School
How long have you been writing poetry?
I wrote my first poem when I was ten years old. I was inspired by the attacks on 9/11. I've written sporadically over the years. But all of a sudden, I've discovered an urge to write poem after poem. Since last September, I've written about forty poems, some short and some long.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I'm inspired much by my surroundings, just looking out my window, and take a lot of my inspiration from things I've read, heard or seen, especially from my past.
Who is your favorite poet? Why?
Honestly, I don't have a favorite poet. I don't like choosing favorites, but I do especially enjoy reading poetry by Billy Collins, Terrance Hayes, Linda Gregg, Jack Spicer and Nick Flynn. Their poetry really tugs at my heart and ferments a desire in me to keep writing. I'm a big sucker for beautiful imagery but it doesn't have to be extraordinary, usually I find beauty in more seemingly mundane things like the rust on old door hinges or some lipstick left on the rim of a glass of water.
What advice can you give young writers?
Read a lot, be observant and keep writing. If you're anything like me, you'll find yourself writing at 2 AM, listening to the inner voices that desperately call you to put pen to paper. Listen to those voices. They're calling you for a reason. Also, don't just write poetry for the sake of writing poetry. It needs to come from the spirit and from the heart. Poems are born not created. I believe there is a difference.
Read Ariel's latest poem!