Interview with Jack Underwood
Jack Underwood is a creative writing tutor at Goldsmiths University, and has just released his first pamphlet under the Faber 'New Poets' scheme. He completed his MA in Creative and Life Writing at Goldsmiths in 2006, going on to win the Eric Gregory award in 2007, and knows how it feels to be concerned and confused by the options facing emerging poets. I ask him about the pressures he feels under as a young poet to produce a publication; there have never been more publishing houses specialising in poetry, vying for audiences, and scouting for new poets to promote and immortalise in print.
‘If you don't have a book out you can feel like a hobbyist.’ Jack explains. ‘At the same time you can find yourself flattered into going with the first publisher who comes along without considering what's right for the poems, or worse, end up putting out a half-finished or mal-formed manuscript because of ego, because of the need to feel part of that world of poets and books.’
In a scheme supported by the Arts Council England, Jack was nominated by a Faber scout before his poetry then passed through a panel of poets and practitioners to be awarded publication as part of the Faber ‘New Poets’ programme. Under this programme, the poets are published with the familiar Faber poetry cover, and are given expert mentorship and editorial advice.
Faber’s prestigious reputation has grown out of its association with the likes of T.S Eliot, Sylvia Plath and Ezra Pound. Their catalogue is something of a who’s- who of household names in poetry throughout the years. With their ‘New Poets’ series, they have carefully begun promoting the household names of tomorrow, while giving the poets time to assemble a collection of their best work.
'You do hear of some publishers courting poets in their teens and twenties, which for an ancient twenty-five year old like me, can feel like a death knell.’ Jack says. ‘I think a lot comes down to the confidence of the poet, because it takes guts to say “No, I'm not ready yet,” and I think that most teenagers and poets in their early twenties aren't. It may well be more a case of greater competition between publishers, who are feeling the economic pinch and in their eagerness to get in there first, there's more of a chance that poets are being published before they are really ready.’
As for young poets who find it hard just to know where to begin, the first thing to remember is to shake off the label of “student” poetry that a lot of undergraduates carry around with them.
‘If the “student” element of that term is as important to the poems as the poetry element then I’d advise the person writing it to take a cold shower or to graduate as quickly as possible. I think the reason Phillip Larkin blocked his ears at student poetry readings was because he was put off by an over-eagerness to assert the weight of new knowlegde and experiences and that felt false. I always try and think of poems more as questions, as part of learning about the world, rather than spewing it back into peoples’ laps. If students can take their spirit of enquiry and their energy into their poems then they’re winning.’
Jack remembers Andrea Holland being the first poet to make him question why he was writing, and through her advice he made sure that his poetry would always be able to ‘fend for itself’, establishing a craft before creating a profile; both of which he now has.
Offering advice to young poets Jack suggests 'It's more important to build poems in order to fend for themselves. If you don’t get published or you loose a competition, chastise yourself, scream “why?!” into a pillow and then start again. Try another magazine or another poem. Read the poems that are getting published and that you like. Are your poems comparatively arch, self-consciously clever or archaic? Does your poem assume a readerly interest in your life? Does your poem about a buying a Twix do enough in terms of making an enquiry into the human condition? Yes? It does? Then persevere. It is really about staying tough to it and being prepared to put what's right for the poem before your ego, which frankly is harder than it sounds!’
Jack Underwood will be reading in the Senior Staff Room at Goldsmiths College, New Cross, on Wednesday 18th November.
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