Delighted to share this interview of the fabulous poet Rebecca Brock, which I wrote for the River Heron Review. Take a break from your busy life, make a cup of tea, and join us.
Introduction (From River Heron Review)
A few months ago, I stumbled on one of Rebecca Brock’s poems, “I Remember How I Believed,” on the River Heron site. I was floored by her imagery of the Idaho foothills, of a baby’s gravestone, combined with truly concise and powerful language. I was also struck with her use of space and even grammar to create mood and meaning.
I looked and found her work in other places online, and ultimately asked River Heron’s editor to introduce us. Before we met, I had the sincere pleasure of reading and re-reading Brock’s new book of poetry, The Way Land Breaks.
This impressive collection, published by Sheila-Na-Gig in 2023, brings the reader into the various realms where the poet exists–as a mother to two growing and changing boys, as an airline attendant, as a wife and adult daughter, as a frequent traveler—especially to the landscapes of the West, and as homebound parent through the pandemic. We feel the intimate moments of being in a body that is coping with chronic illness, the fear that swells when a child is ill, the humor that comes from spending time with small children, and the awe that accompanies deep attention to the natural world.
Each poem holds a miniature journey, often into intimate places like the inside of a seashell or in the folds of a mushroom. But in a Lewis Carroll sort of way, these small places become deep and wide kingdoms to traverse—kingdoms of grief, of motherhood, of hope, and of despair. We enter them armed only with Rebecca’s shining poems, but ultimately that is enough.
Like all excellent writers, Rebecca looks at the world with clear and observant eyes, including seeing how the climate crisis is affecting the planet, feeling the pain of the political landscape, accepting her own flaws when held up by her family, and seeing the stunning beauty of the world in surprising places.
Our conversation was wide ranging—om the ways her editor helped her “birth” this book to the way motherhood both interrupts and informs the creative process. Read it here!