Dennis Mahagin is the author of “Grand Mal,” a debut poetry collection forthcoming from Three Roads Press, a new imprint of the San Francisco-based Suspect Thoughts Press. His work appears in Absinthe Literary Review, 42opus, Stirring: A Literary Collection, Erosha, FRiGG, Word Riot, Slow Trains, Underground Voices, Mannequin Envy, 3:AM Magazine, Thieves Jargon, Hiss Quarterly, Insolent Rudder, Unlikely Stories, and other journals.

You describe “Grand Mal,” your poetry collection, as “muscular.” What do you mean by that? Is it totally stacked? Are there steroids involved? Tell us a bit about what we can look forward to when the book is released in October.

Hmmm… Actually, the release date has been bumped back one season. I was recently informed of this by my publishers. People keep asking me, “When’s your book coming out?” … Anymore, I simply quell these inquiries with a palms-up shrug, meant to demonstrate the hard fact that, ultimately, publication dates are “out of my hands.”

Wrote a poem about it… Wanna hear it?

Aight. Here it go.


THE PITTER PATTER OF ANTICIPATION

I swear to God I’m not
Bullshitting you!

Wrote me a book, manuscript
Cover is blue.

What?… Huh?
New Release Date?

Nah, nah, Homey don’t
Speculate.

Shit happens, or so
Say the Fates:

“Life’s a bitch & then
You wait.”


Back to your question:

“Muscular” is just a term I latched onto, when asked by my publishers to write this promotional blurb in conjunction with an Author Marketing Questionnaire they sent me. However, I would hope that “Grand Mal” evidences a craft honed by many “reps” (at the keyboard and within the notebook) while showcasing a fairly broad poetic range, in terms of both technique, and subject matter. Muscular?

Time will tell.

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I love your poetry because it often makes me laugh, but you also write serious work, as well as erotica. In fact, your poem “Aural Sex,” published in Erosha, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. What is your favorite type of poem to write? Your least? What do you find easier to publish?

This is a tough question.

Hmmm… I suppose it’s the poems that take too long to write—which I don’t much like. Not that I have anything against revision. Revision is absolutely essential, of course. But a piece that you agonize over for weeks, or even months, is about enough to drive a boy ditzy, on a certain level. I like to get in—and get out.

My favorite kind of poem? It has a considerable rhythmic and lyrical impact, and the rhymes, should there be any, come unforced, from a stream of consciousness-type source. This poem should tell a story, ask a question, invoke the senses, expel some sort of resonant angst, make the reader laugh, or move him/her in… other ways.

Regarding the last part of your question: No one type of poem is easier to publish than another. Each poem invariably finds a thorny and uphill climb when seeking publication in any journal of merit.

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In their spring 2007 issue, Insolent Rudder published an electronic chapbook of your work. Are these poems linked in any way? Do any of them appear in your collection?

There are 3 poems in the Rudder Chapbook which appear in “Grand Mal.” In composing the E-Chapbook, there was no conscious attempt at “linkage” going on—save for the piece about Snow White and the 7 Dwarves, which is sort of naturally-connected, by virtue of their collective “dwarf dilemma.” Poor little guys, God love ‘em!

I must say, I’m impressed with the presentation of “Van Grohl and the Tooth Fairy…etc.” (the Chapbook) by Tim Ljunggren and Co. I love the Rudder, always have. A truly great internet zine. It ought keep a steady cult following, for perpetuity.

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Who are your favorite poets? What do you like about them? For someone like me, who tends to look at poetry and panic, who would I find accessible?

Ah, sheesh. Kelly, there are so many!

Most of my intense study has been confined to the contemporary canon, which I consider to be from the Beat Period to Present. However, I love John Keats, W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot, S.T. Coleridege, Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, Dylan Thomas. Emily Dickinson. The standard Poetry Gods/Goddesses.

However, if I had to break it down to a handful of modern poets I admire most, I’d go with Charles Simic, Stephen Dobyns, Raymond Carver, Yusef Komunyakaa, Charles Bukowski and Gregory Corso.

Also, Carolyn Forche, Sharon Olds, Kim Addonizio, and Dorianne Laux. In fact, I’d make a safe bet that you’d very much enjoy these last four writers whom I mentioned: Very plain-spoken, honest, accessible poetry. Also, I believe that you’d like Bukowski’s poems very much. Go for his early work, because it is the best.

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Do you remember the first poem you wrote? How old were you? What was it about?

As I recall, I wrote mostly science fiction stories as a kid.

I remember one in particular, about a Norelco-type electric shaver that becomes somehow animated, and then, inexplicably, enraged at the human race, by degrees, (a whisker more insane every day) until this shaver finally goes OFF– on some kind of homicidal hunting spree! In the story, as the throat-slashed bodies are piling up, the humans bring in the National Guard to shoot the Shaver down, and still it doesn’t die.

The Murderous Shaver escapes. Don’t you love that? In fact, who knows: Big Foot could be using the thing, even now, to groom himself. As he sees fit, of course!

Back to your question: I do remember the first halfway-decent poem I wrote. It was about Grackles. The Amazing Black Grackle of Southern Nevada.

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You’ve also written some short fiction, one of which (“It Ain’t Berklee College of Music, But You Can Max Out Your Student Loans Here—And Get Friggy With the Skin-Chilling Drum Circles,” published in the fall 2005 issue of FRiGG) was chosen as a 2005 Notable Online short story by storySouth. Do you plan on writing more short fiction, or even a novel? Or is poetry your true calling?

Thanks for mentioning that story, Kelly! I was really surprised and honored when I got the news of that nomination. Yes, I certainly do plan on writing more short fiction in the future. Absolutely. As for a novel—why yes. Why not?

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In addition to being a writer, you’re also a musician. What instrument(s) do you play? What type of music? Are you in a band?

Music will always be a fundamental part of my life. My instrument is the electric bass guitar. I’m pretty fluent in a middling-variety of styles, but I lean toward Rhythm, Blues, and Rock N’ Roll. From Punk Rock to Classic Rock. I love it all. I still play, but I don’t plan on joining a band any time soon. Sometimes I jam and record with my brother, who’s a drummer, as well as a composer/arranger.

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Tell us about your blog, Once Upon An Erection In America.

It’s so funny you call it that!

I used the “Once Upon a Time” terminology, very tongue-in-cheek, for a recent update of one of my Bio Blurbs. which is probably where you got it from. I think it is about 20 times better than the actual name of my blog! If I ever start a new blog, “Once Upon An Erection In America” is certainly the moniker I’ll employ.

As far as my blog goes—anything goes. I’ve solicited stories, posted god-awful poems (as well as poems that went on to see publication in respected journals), strange diatribes that I trade with some Imaginary Friends of mine, and links to new work of my own that may have just been published, etc. Lately, I’m into posting You Tube concert footage, links to interesting sites I find on the Net, etc.

Sometimes I talk about my life in there, but not very often. If I wish to keep the ol’ Blog lively, talking about my life is definitely not the way to go about it!

I very much enjoy publishing a blog. I like the idea that I can compose a poem, micro-fiction, aphorism, essay, or whatever, and within minutes the lines are being read by someone halfway across the globe. It’s exciting, in that way. And it motivates me to write, so I can’t go wrong.

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You have a newsletter that you send to subscribers. For those who may be interested in keeping up with your writing, how do you get on the list?

To get on my mailing list, just visit my blog, click the CONTACT ME link on the sidebar, and when the E Mail Thing comes up, put the words, ADD ME in the subject bar and hit SEND.

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Like you, I am a transplant to Washington State. Do you ever look around and ask yourself: what am I doing here? Or are you content? If you could live anywhere, where would that be?

I consider the Pacific Northwest my home, spiritually as well as geographically. I guess that’s why the town of Aberdeen keeps creeping into my poem and story titles!

That being said, I’m always up for traveling. I wouldn’t mind spending some time on the east coast. Especially Philly, New York, and/or Boston. I’ve never been to any of those cities. I’ve been to Baltimore, though. And Florida. I like Baltimore, a lot. I don’t much care for Florida. It is also a pipedream of mine to live in Ireland for a year or so.

As far as contentment goes—I’m a little leery of it. It implies a cud-chewing sort of stasis, and self-satisfaction. These mental states, I believe, are dangerous for an artist.

Of course, this leaves me wide open to the occasional wicked mood swing. When these “blue notes” twang on my timpani bone, I make every effort to reach my Happy Place.

My Happy Place is a deserted deep-green card room in the Glitter Gulch section of Old Town, Las Vegas. As I said, this card room is deserted, except for me and a gal named Shannon Elizabeth—who, of course, is the lithe and beautiful actress who starred in the film American Pie. She is also a world class poker player. Anyway, in this cool, spacious, semi-dark place, I happen to possess a perpetually self-replenishing stack of pretty-pink $5,000 poker chips, which Shannon keeps taking from me, hand after hand after hand, on account of these crazy sucker plays I keep making–on purpose– just to watch her smile.

She’ll smile, rake in these huge pots… Then after a while, Shannon suggests a “break” and… well, I suppose you get the gist.

That, Kelly, is my Happy Place!

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I’m always amazed by how quickly you can pull a poem out of your, um, ass. So, quick, give us something to hang on to before we say good-bye.

My pleasure, certainly.


THE TANK-YOU KELLY TANKA

Adieu means Alas,
Oh my God I’ve had a blast!

Dig me, thinking fast .. .
.. … . .. … ….

But seriously, okay?–

I mean to say, well,
Kel, she nails her Expo-Zays!
I could sit– talk to Spitzer
All the live-long

Day.

Contact Dennis

Read:

“Giving Back the Ghazals” five poems
published by FRiGG

“Reading the Part”
published by 42opus

“Fare”
published by Absinthe Literary Review

“Spill”
published by 3:AM Magazine

“April Is International Poetry Month”
a flash fiction, published by The Angler

“Deposition”
published by Stirring: A Literary Collection

“What The Surgeon General Meant To Say”
published by Underground Voices

“Prothrombin/Time”
published by The Hiss Quarterly

Filed Under: The Writer Profile Project |