Every Jewel Poem Is A Gift To Humanity: An Interview with Lannie STabile
Leigh Chadwick: First, I want to say you’re welcome for having the distinct pleasure of being part of my “Mediocre Conversations” series here at Olney Magazine. I bumped an interview with Matt Bell in order to squeeze you in. (As an influencer and tastemaker, I stay busy.)
I want to say I hope I’m not disappointed by this decision. Although, to be fair, I think I was going to end up disappointed either way.
Lannie Stabile: Is Matt Bell the person who wrote Twilight?
LC: No, he wrote Cataclysm Baby, a book that has been long out of print that was published by a press that no longer exists, probably because they published Cataclysm Baby. Though maybe he wrote Twilight, too. I think, deep down, we all wrote Twilight.
The last few paragraphs of this interview notwithstanding, I think I am ready to do a more serious interview about art. Art. (Felt the need to start a new sentence so I could make sure “art” was capitalized.) In the past, my interviews have been called “jokey” and “some of the best interviews ever conducted in the history of interviews” and “thank you for existing, we need this in our lives,” but I think it is time for me to dive deeper.
I can only slum it in Olney Magazine for so long, you know? I’ve got bills to pay.
So, are you ready?
Lannie Stabile (she/her), a queer Detroiter, is the winner of OutWrite’s 2020 Chapbook Competition in Poetry; the winning chapbook, Strange Furniture, is out with Neon Hemlock Press. She is a back-to-back finalist for the Glass Chapbook Series and back-to-back semifinalist for the Button Poetry Chapbook Contest. Lannie currently holds the position of Managing Editor at Barren Magazine and is a member of the MMPR Collective. She was named a 2020 Best of the Net finalist. Her debut full-length, Good Morning to Everyone Except Men Who Name Their Dogs Zeus, is out now with Cephalopress. Find her on Twitter @LannieStabile.
LS: First, I just want to quickly point out something. You know that scene in Twilight where Bella trips? I wrote that.
Okay, now I’m ready. As Olivia Newton-John would say, “Let’s get serious.”
LC: I do not remember that scene in Twilight, most likely because you wrote it.
Okay, here we go.
First question: Who is your favorite poet and why is it me?
LS: My favorite poet is absolutely not you. But you are my favorite narcissist. I don’t have one favorite poet, unless you count Shel Silverstein. No one can top “Hector the Collector.” As an adult, though, I’ve continually turned to contemporary poets like Sabrina Benaim, Chen Chen, Dorianne Laux, and Melissa Lozada-Oliva. As far as classic poets, I love Sara Teasdale.
LC: I do not know what the word “narcissist” means and I’m too lazy to look it up, so I’m just going to assume that is a compliment and say thank you.
I am pretty sure you made all of those names up. You took a long time answering that question so I had the image of you scrolling through a baby naming book or finding a kid with a broken arm or leg and reading who signed their cast.
Moving on. I have been told, mostly by you, that you are a poet. This is true?
LS: I’m pretty terrible at making names up. Just ask my four unfinished novels.
I am a self-proclaimed poet, yes. Which I guess means...I’m a sensitive goblin who takes these gnarled, little hands to reach deep inside myself to pull out thoughts and feelings and fancy words.
LC: Failed novelist. Self-proclaimed poet. Got it.
Now, you have a book out? Feel like we should try to promote something here...
LS: My debut full-length, Good Morning to Everyone Except Men Who Name Their Dogs Zeus, dropped in June of this year. It’s a poetry collection that challenges Greek mythology, sexual assault, and men obsessed with powerful men. Multiple people have called it vital feminist literature.
I am extremely proud of this collection, but my biggest regret is that the title, though quite long, does not beat Chen Chen’s When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities. Personally, I think he cheated with all those prepositions and pronouns.
LC: I have your book with the incredibly long title next to me. As a serious interviewer I have done my research and skimmed your book and I can say this: it is a book with words.
I very much enjoy the cover art of the book. (I think it would work very well as a coaster for a drink on a nightstand.) I noticed, though, that there are no blurbs on the front or back or inside of the book. Was this a conscious decision, either by you or publisher, Cellophane Press, or did no one want to blurb the book?
(And you’re right, Chen Chen’s book has a great title. Maybe you should ask Chen Chen to help you title your next one.)
LS: Thank you for the compliment. I think the coaster aspect would depend on what you were drinking. For example, I wouldn’t feel comfortable with grapefruit juice on my book. Too acidic.
Cephalopress and I decided to have the blurbs appear on the website rather than the back cover. We agreed that emphasizing the line “a puppy nips at his owner’s fingers and is not reprimanded because dogs will be dogs” was important and encapsulated the theme of the book. Also, it gave more space to feature the sweet ass golden animals.
You jest, but I would love to have Chen’s help on my next endeavor!
LC: I am going to assume, and by assume, I mean, I am going to say with utter certainty, that most people do not know who you are. So, who is Lannie Stabile?
LS: Who the hell knows? I’m still figuring it out. I am a weird combination of cheer and grief and distrust and gullibility and ire and fear and talent and unease. I know I love reading for hours on end, but I can’t binge watch anything. I know I’m a morning person and that one of my favorite things is to write on my deck with a cup of black coffee within reach. I know I’m very compassionate but also very cynical when it comes to people. I know I hate scratchy t-shirts but I melt when my cat puts his paw on my shoulder. I know poetry is powerful and far-reaching, if not technically “popular.” I know sometimes I can be so sure of something and the next moment I am lost again. I know The Nanny needs a poetry anthology.
LC: This is what I thought reading your answer: That took a long time for you to just copy and paste your About Me section from an old OK Cupid profile of yours.
Here is my one sincere comment I will make during this interview. I know you just recently celebrated your five year wedding anniversary with your wife. I just wanted to say that’s beautiful and congratulations and I can’t wait to hear about your tenth and then twentieth and then and then and then.
And yes, scratchy t-shirts are the worst. And yes, a Nanny poetry anthology needs to happen. I think The Daily Drunk is interested in doing the anthology, or so I hear. (Also, Shawn Berman, you’re welcome for putting your literary magazine on the map by mentioning it in this interview.)
My next question: How much better do you think your poems would be if someone else had written them?
LS: I’ve never actually had a dating profile. I’m old. We didn’t do those things back in 1922. And thank you for the well wishes on my anniversary. I feel very lucky.
Funny you should ask about my poems being better if someone else had written them. When I was working on Zeus, I wanted to write a poem about the relationship between Zeus and Ganymede, but Jericho Brown already wrote the perfect one. I think mine is second best, though.
LC: I have a poetry coloring book titled This Is How We Learn How to Pray with ELJ Editions that is coming out next month. That doesn’t really need to be promoted because everyone is going to buy it anyway. But, since this interview is “about you,” I think this is a good time for you to do a little self-promotion.
You have written other things people can “buy”?
LS: I heard about your book from my therapist. He suggested that when I am mad to take a red crayon and scribble over your name until I feel better.
My multiple award-winning chapbook, Strange Furniture, is unfortunately sold out at Neon Hemlock Press, but my first published collection, Little Masticated Darlings, is still available through Wild Pressed Books. It’s a micro-chap about a Michigan serial killer that my family has ties to :(
LC: I assume by “sold out” you mean that your wife bought all the copies and they’re now stored in a box in your basement. And I have so many questions about this micro-chap, but I don’t think there are enough pages on the internet.
Okay, I think it is time for the speed round portion of the interview.
Are you ready?
LS: Ugh. I guess so. If you must.
LC: I must.
First question: Which Matt Bell novel is your favorite?
LS: I’ve never read Matt Bell and only heard about him today, so I’ll go with A Wrinkle in Time.
LC: That is the correct answer.
Question two: What poem have you written that you decided to publish that now, when rereading it, just makes you cringe? That makes you go, Holy shit, what was I thinking?
LS: That’s all in the past, Leigh. I am perfect now.
LC: That was almost a Leigh Chadwick answer. Except if Leigh Chadwick were to answer it, it would’ve been, Everything I write is dope as shit or I am the beginning, the middle, and the end, even though that makes no sense at all.
Question three: What is your fourth favorite Jewel poem?
LS: I don’t know how you know I am a Jewel fan. Have you been stalking me? I was literally rewatching an old C.S.I. episode yesterday, and Jewel did a cameo, and I was like, “Hell yeah, Jewel!”
Every Jewel poem is a gift to humanity. Even the one where she uses casualty instead of casualness because she knew what she was doing, and everything is intentional and brilliant. To be completely transparent, I’m talking about old school Jewel. I have no idea what she’s up to these days. I hope she’s still awesome.
LC: I think we just found our title: “Every Jewel Poem Is a Gift to Humanity: An Interview with Lannie Stabile.”
Okay, I know we are running out of time, so here is the last question.
I would love for you to give a shout out to a poet you admire who does not yet have a book. Who is a poet whose writing you’re wild about that should have a book coming out tomorrow? Also, feel free to drop a link to something they’ve published.
LS: This is my favorite question. Good job. My shout out is, hands down, Madeleine Corley. She’s amazing. Her piece, “Gardener,” in Trampset was masterful. I want her book yesterday.
https://trampset.org/gardener-3e9404bf70fa
LC: And lastly, because I know you need the book sales, go ahead and drop links to where we can buy your books. Also, feel free to include a link or two of work you published online.
LS: Good Morning to Everyone Except Men Who Name Their Dogs Zeus: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Morning-Everyone-Except-Their/dp/1838220615#:~:text=Accessible%20as%20it%20is%20sharp,legacy%20that%20Zeus%20leaves%20behind.
And a poem to get a taste: https://feralpoetry.net/three-poems-by-lannie-stabile/
Little Masticated Darlings: http://www.wildpressedbooks.com/little-masticated-darlings.html
And a poem to get a taste: http://www.glass-poetry.com/journal/2019/october/stabile-what.html
That’s it for me. Thanks for wasting the last two hours of my life, Leigh. It was fun-ish.
LC: And thank you for sending me your book. I was in need of a new fly swatter.
