Artist Profile: James Roberts
James P. Roberts is the author of 15 books in the fields of fantasy and science fiction; poetry; literary biography; and baseball history. He is a regional vice president for the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets, in addition to being the organizer and host of the Winter Festival of Poetry (an annual 8-week event). Roberts lives in Madison where he writes, dreams, haunts Little Free Libraries and now plays disc golf.
1) How do you continually seek out or discover new inspiration for poems?
I read poetry voraciously; sometimes 100 - 150 poetry books per year. I often find that a certain phrase or an idea in a poem will trigger a response that I quickly write down and that will turn into a full-fledged poem. Also, when I attend poetry readings, I will hear something by the poet which might spark an image or a thought that later becomes a poem. Usually I'll write it down. Occasionally a poem will come before the poet has finished their poem!
2) Share 1-2 writing goals you would like to accomplish this year.
I would like to be a finalist in the Rattle Poetry Chapbook Competition and have my chapbook published. (I have submitted to the contest and am awaiting the results.) Outside of that, I haven't been writing much fiction lately so I'd like to start up again to reduce some of the backlog of story ideas I've accumulated over the last few years. I've also been writing a lot of music and have completed a full-length musical play I'd like to get produced and performed eventually.
3) What is your favorite type of art to be a consumer of?
I enjoy art with a fantasy or science fiction theme; also the weird and bizarre. I like old books—those that have been crafted with a special kind of care that is often lacking in modern publishing.
4) Please share 2 to 3 exhibitions, concerts, books, spoken word events and/or films you're hoping to check out this winter or spring.
Most of my outside activities have been pretty much spur-of-the-moment since the COVID-19 pandemic began isolating people and cancelling events. I try to make as many local poetry/musical/storytelling presentations as possible. The Monsters of Poetry is certainly on my ‘bucket list’ every time they hold a reading. The Watershed Readings at the Arts + Literature Laboratory are another must. As for books, I'm always on the lookout for new releases from my favorite authors: Theodora Goss, Lauren Groff, Karen Joy Fowler, Kim Stanley Robinson, Charles DeLint, Alex Bledsoe…and any poets that catch my fancy.