Erin King lives in southeastern Pennsylvania. Interests include creating fiber art, jewelry making, and the outdoors. She lives with her partner of eight years.
What made you interested in submitting for SMITTEN?
It was a incident of timing, really. Like once a decade I’ll go on a poetry writing binge. There’s this feeling that something is under my skin, that something needs to be expressed. That’s when I write. This coincided nicely with SMITTEN, and it’s such an amazing project. I feel so fortunate to be included.
Since SMITTEN’s launch what’s your response been from others?
Feedback has all been positive. One of my male friends said my work was hot. I’m not one to say hooray about the male gaze on lesbian objects but I didn’t mind; that’s what I was going for in these two poems.
When writing were you thinking about the political implications of your work?
When writing these I wasn’t thinking politically or even socially. I was a woman lusting after another woman. It was definitely a micro level thing. No lofty aspirations here.
Why do you find it important to express yourself through poetry? How does it differ from other mediums?
When I’m working on designing a piece of jewelry or layering an art journal page, things come a lot more naturally. It flows more. Poetry is more deliberate. My ultimate goal is to introduce poetry to visual media like painting and art.
Do you think there are many steroetypes of LGBTQ people and if so, do you think as a writer you can dispel them?
I think there’s a lot of biphobia coming from all sides. We’re fickle, we can’t pick a side, blah blah blah. It’s all bullshit. I’m not sure if I can dispel them, though I am happy to say I’ve been with my Margaret for nine years.
How did you get into writing and what do you get from writing?
I started writing when I was 12. It was pure escapism, a reprieve from an abusive environment. I would come home from school every day and write. When my parents started barging into my room, I’d sit with my back against the door, physically creating a boundary when there were none. It’s not so different when I’m 47. It’s escapism in a different sense. It’s sublimation, a channeling of energy.
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TheFeatheredSleep 