Michael J. Bugeja

Michael J. Bugeja's poetry has appeared in hundreds of America’s most prestigious magazines and journals. He has authored four text- and trade books, including Guide to Writing Magazine Nonfiction (Allyn & Bacon, 1997); Living Ethics: Developing Values in Mass Communication (Allyn & Bacon, 1996); Poet's Guide: How to Publish and Perform Your Work (Story Line Press, 1995); and The Art and Craft of Poetry (Writer's Digest Books, 1994). In addition, he has published two books of social criticism and six book-length collections of poems, as well as a collection of award-winning short stories and a novel.

His writing awards include a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, an Academy of American Poets award, and a lengthy list of other awards and prizes. He writes a column on poetry for Writer's Digest and is honorary chancellor of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies.

Send questions to Michael Bugeja via email to editor@writeronline.net

Q In light of the much bandied-about term "multiculturalism,” how does the definition of "occasional poetry" change (or not change)? How can poetry make an occasion meaningful for those whose experience resides outside its immediate context?

-- Roger L., Cincinnati, OH

A I think multiculturalism enriches occasional poetry, allowing writers to compose works about a variety of celebrations, holidays, and commemorations. Certainly I have mentioned all three in my verse about Malta, a relatively little-known archipelago in the Mediterranean. I'm of Maltese descent, by the way, and my name is pronounced "Boo-SHAY-ah" or, if you prefer a more native sound, "Boo-JAY-ah." Here is one of my early poems (circa 1981) celebrating Maltese independence, a kind of Fourth of July song:

LEGACY OF THE PATRIOT-FISHERMAN
for the new Republic

A veil of nets frapped across his back,
the fisherman follows his son
who zigzags on the pebble beach,
his bare feet kicking stones,
an imaginary ball, then something metal
that bounces and twirls on a rock.

The boy smiles, opens his olive fist
to show a British silver piece
glittering in sunset. The father takes it,
pivots on his heel and flings it back
as he would an undersize fish.

The child glowers at his father,
his blue eyes a remnant of conquest.

The thing to keep in mind when writing about multicultural occasions is that you don't have to describe in detail the nature of the occasion. (In the poem above, I do it in an epigraph, for instance.) Just focus on imagery, detail, and enough grounding (see next question) to entice the reader and transport her to a new land and festivity.

Q Is it possible that contemporary poets are now trying to make their imagery more understandable than they have in the past? "Good" poems (as defined by publishability) so often in the past have seemed undecipherable. Lately they make sense. Is this a new trend?

-- Sonya T., Bartlesville, OK

A Yes, you're right. Poetry has become clearer in the past decade, thanks to the contributions of Dana Gioia, Molly Peacock, William Baer (publisher of the Formalist), Robert McDowell (owner of Story Line Press), Miller Williams, Fred Chappell and, I hope, by me ... inasmuch as that is what I emphasize in my Writer's Digest work. What you are seeing, technically, is more attention to "accessibility." Part of that is grounding, making sure the reader understands (a) what the poem is about and (b) what the poem is about on a deeper level. Call the latter theme. On the other hand, less accessible work -- by first-class poets like Laurence Lieberman or Lola Haskins -- has a different music, that of texture. In general, the more accessible, the less textural. Grounding allows for both in that it makes sure the reader has a firm grasp of the subject matter ... before soaring via Pegasus' blurred wings.

Q Where can a wannabe (or otherwise) poet post their work online, and get criticism and encouragement?

-- Lynda P., Lafayette, IN

A I'd only seek criticism or encouragement from bonafide poetry webzines, sites, and cafes ... rather than from chat rooms, home pages, et. al. How can you tell if a site is "bonafide"? The old-fashioned way: ask the critic-poet for a bio or look up publishing information yourself. Remember: the web is a miracle -- a veritable electronic font of information -- and also the world's largest vanity press. Read, discern, and learn!

-- MB