TEN with Christian Ward

Form. Reborn launches today on Twitter with a haiku by Christian Ward. Christian is a London-based writer whose work has appeared in the Everyday Poets, The Kenyon Review, Word Riot, and Diagram among many others. We caught up with Christian at his local pub and held the darts hostage until he agreed to answer our questions:

1. What was the first book/poem/phrase that rocked your world?
   The Complete Poems of Elizabeth Bishop was the first book to make me say g_dd_mn!

2. If Dr. Who picked you up in the Tardis, when & where would you go?
   On an alien world in the far future would be pretty cool. Failing that, at the launch of Sputnik on October 4th, 1957.

3. What was your first published piece?  Where was it published?
   I can’t remember what it was called exactly, I think it was ‘The Leaf’ or something. It was published in an anthology a few years back.

4. Do you think the internet hurts or helps Literature?
   I think it helps literature. The internet has allowed so many different voices to be heard, which is incredibly liberating.

5. How about authors?
   I think it helps authors. The explosion of e-zines in the last few years has given authors, new and old, a huge number of opportunities to be published and have their work read by a global audience, something I find empowering.

6. When the well is dry, how do you fill it?
   I write about anything, no matter how mundane. That gets the juice flowing.

7. Favorite writing tool?
   My pencil

8. Your biggest fans just burst in the room.  How many are there & how do you react?
   Probably a handful of people. I’d be touched and would hug them. Then we’d get sloshed on beer and end up singing old Viking songs.

9. Why did you submit to Form. Reborn?
   It sounded like a cool project.

10. Fill in the blank:  In the vast Poet Sea, I am a manta ray

One new poem each day will be added to Form. Reborn, so be sure to check it out often! If you miss a day, don’t fret. We’ll keep an archive on this website’s Form. Reborn page. Oh, and we did give Christian his darts back…eventually;-)

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