Latest / Where I'm From / Kelly Burch

Transcript

Kelly Burch · Where I'm From

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Your story matters.
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: I'm Allison. This is the Where I'm From podcast, podcast, where guests join me to share their version of George L. Lyon's iconic poem, Where I'm From, and to chat a bit about their experience writing and reflecting on memory and childhood. It's a space for everyone and engages with my total belief that each of us has a unique and powerful story to tell. Hi!
• 0:39
  Today we're here Kelly Birch to read We're
• 0:42
  Speaker 3: Have Fun three. She should be joining us any moment. And I'm really excited
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: to hear her read it out loud.
• 0:56
  Speaker 4: Hi, Connie! How are you?
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: I'm good. How are you?
• 1:01
  Speaker 4: Pretty good.
• 1:02
  Speaker 3: I'm really Feeling a little nervous?
• 1:04
  Speaker 4: Yeah, it's like outside my comfort zone, but I figured that was part of the fun of it and I really enjoyed the other poems so
• 1:13
  Speaker 3: I figured I think that is part of the fun of it. I'm trying to encourage people who feel like but I don't do this like yeah that's that's who it's for
• 1:22
  Speaker 4: those are exactly When I went to write it, I was home with a sick kid all last week and I was like not getting any writing work done. So I figured I'll play with this and then it was a lot more difficult than I thought. So even that was a good prompt. And then
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: Anytime you're ready, we're
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: ready All right, to hear
• 1:43
  Speaker 4: perfect. I am from books, cardboard boxes of them piled high in the attic and the garage. I am from the hedges, wild, unruly, sheltering kids and wasps. I am from a towering pine tree, rope swing whipping through the air, kids screeching with joy or terror. I'm from impulses and big dreams, from William and Walter.
• 2:14
  I am from insistent opinions and passionate arguments over the perfect Christmas tree. I'm from Taylor Rabbit and Painted Horse. I'm from bed prayer circles and early morning meditations. I'm from the lake. S'mores and ziti, always with limes.
• 2:37
  From my grandmother's yearbook wish for a dozen children, my mother's courage to protect her for. Boxes turned to crates, unfinished manuscripts, brushing off the stains and picking up the pen.
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: Yay, thanks.
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: It was fun to hear about the lake because I've seen pictures of it.
• 3:04
  Speaker 4: Oh yeah. For those of that.
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: So it was like, oh, is the same place. Kelly and I are social media friends. So we've never met, but I've seen pieces of her life and then to hear about them or read about them. It's interesting to me when I was doing the exercise, and let me know if you agree, how these certain sort of repeating themes arise as we
• 3:29
  Speaker 4: was really interesting to me because I don't think of my childhood or my growing up as very segmented, but there are really strong themes. My father was an author and a publisher, so a lot of my childhood memories are associated with that on his side. And then on my mother's side, have this really strong tie with the lake, which is a place that we've gone to for generations. So it was interesting when I was putting this together I found myself like kind of bringing those two worlds together in a way that I didn't realize that I tend to fall into one or the other without, but really they are both where I'm from and what influenced me. That was interesting.
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: Beautiful. Did any other things strike you when you were working on it that surprised you or didn't?
• 4:29
  Speaker 4: That was one. And then the other thing which I posted about last week, I think, was I found myself thinking about what my kids' poem would look like because I wanted to put some things in there that were more along the lines of where I am rather than where I'm from. And it was interesting to me to think about it in that way. And I haven't done it yet, but I was really thinking about putting together what I would like theirs to look like, or like kind of thinking about it as a goal as a parent or with my created family. So it was interesting to think about the past, the present, and the future and how it affects us.
• 5:22
  Speaker 3: So that's really, that's definitely something we've talked about my husband and I as, because my, we live here where I grew up. So it's easy to pass on things that were meaningful to me where it's more of a challenge for him, at least geographic things. And how do we pass on what's meaningful to us if we are not near the place where we grew up? It can be other things, but it's definitely, it's interesting to, something to consider when we raise our kids, like what memories are we making?
• 5:55
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I didn't even think about the geographic aspect of it, but that's really interesting too, because we live in the woods as you can probably see behind me and physically where my kids are growing up is really different from where I grew up and my husband's an immigrant so even more so for him. So that's an interesting addition to it.
• 6:18
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I get to be just lazy. I have beach memories. They're gonna have beach memories. Know, we go to the beach like it's I don't have to give it a whole lot of thought, but other things. Thanks for bringing out that about the kids.
• 6:31
  Because I didn't think about it concretely like that. Like what would their poem look like? And it's funny, it probably will be nothing like I even imagined. You know, there might be certain things, but.
• 6:42
  Speaker 4: That's definitely what has given me pause because I know I have to, like, I can think about it in context of them, but it's not theirs. It's what I'm kind of trying to put together, I guess, is how I and I was trying to think of that because I don't want to, like, put that pressure, you know, even if it's only in my own head.
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: Telling them how to experience their memories even. Yeah. Comfortably.
• 7:11
  Speaker 4: Exactly. Exactly. But yeah, it was really I really appreciate you putting together the prompt because it was fun to work on and it's definitely prompted me to think about a lot of things this week.
• 7:29
  Speaker 3: I mean, have found it really, it's been joyful for me. I did it in a workshop and I don't think of myself as a poet or really being good at it in any way. And this sort of took away that feeling like poetry is for everyone. Everyone's a poet, I think is probably the point of it. And it's been interesting how some of my friends have just jumped in and sent me, texted me poems and others like, Well, I'm not good enough for this.
• 7:58
  Like, You're all good enough. Everyone has a story. And that's the point. It's not about gradations of excellence, you know, it's it's about telling our story.
• 8:10
  Speaker 4: Yeah, and they all come together so beautifully Like as everybody has a story, but everybody you've hosted has put it together in a really like aesthetically pleasing way too. Oh, can't hear you.
• 8:29
  Speaker 3: Does anyone have a question before we wrap it up? Oh shoot, still? Can you hear me?
• 8:33
  Speaker 4: No, I've got you back. You're good.
• 8:36
  Speaker 3: Okay, I have a phone call even though I silenced my phone. So do you have any other questions or thoughts before we wrap it up or does anyone else who's watching have a question? We have lots of nice compliments, Kelly. I hope you're seeing them.
• 8:51
  Speaker 4: Oh, I'm trying not to get too distracted. I think it's interesting with these, like the things, because you pull things from your past that are only meaningful to you or to you and your siblings, your immediate family, But then so much ends up resonating with people because even if we think our family is one of a kind, it really is so many shared experiences.
• 9:18
  Speaker 3: I think also it's that, you know, the more specific you become, the more universal it is, And it feels counterintuitive, but it's true. More we invest in the specificity of our own lives, the more I think it speaks to other people. It's surprising, but I found it to be true. And I'm looking forward to hearing more of these and the ones we've heard so far because they're so varied and yet there is this sort of universality of nostalgia and the bittersweet nature of childhood.
• 9:51
  Speaker 4: Yeah, that's a great way of putting it. Well, thank you.
• 9:57
  Speaker 3: This was fun. Oh, how does nature influence your writing? Elizabeth has a last minute Well, question coming in at the
• 10:06
  Speaker 4: right now my big project is writing about this trip that we took last year, was camping all over the country. And so right now that is like the big inspiration in my writing. And I'm also playing with a novel that's set in a similar location to the late that's influenced my family. So it's, I just feel like nature is kind of omnipresent in my life because of where I live and how we spent the last year. So it's hard to say this is how it influences it, but it's certainly it's like how does being a mom influence your life?
• 10:46
  Well, it's my my day to day so it influences my writing in every way. That's kind of how I feel about nature.
• 10:55
  Speaker 3: That's a great answer. I feel similarly and I don't live in the woods, but it's just part of life and gives me reassurance and strength when I feel alone or sort of ground down by life. The nature is always there and reminds us that we're part of something even when we feel like we're all alone, which helps with writing and life.
• 11:26
  Speaker 4: Well, thank you so much, Alison.
• 11:28
  Speaker 3: Really appreciate Thank you, Kelly, for participating. And it was lovely, and I will post it in just a few moments. So, Elizabeth has another question.
• 11:39
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I just saw that one. It's really interesting because my dad's story, my dad created some really beautiful pieces of writing, But he was also his own worst enemy. He got in his way a lot. So he self published his books and not that there's anything wrong with self publishing, especially now, but it's interesting. I definitely learn from him, but learn from his mistakes as well.
• 12:10
  So it's, I wouldn't say pressure, but it definitely affects how I view writing and particularly the business side of it because that's kind of where he got lost. Was really talented, but could get in his way logistically.
• 12:28
  Speaker 3: The question was, does your dad being an author create any pressure? So that was the answer. Thank you, Kelly. And thank you for your questions, Elizabeth. And I think lots of times our parents teach us how not to do things.
• 12:41
  I'm sure I'm teaching my kids the same thing whether I tend to or not.
• 12:45
  Speaker 4: But it was a pleasure.
• 12:47
  Speaker 3: It was wonderful talking with you and hearing your poem. And I look forward to doing this again soon. Thank you.
• 12:54
  Speaker 4: Awesome. Well, thank you so much, everyone, and thanks, Allison.
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: You're welcome. Thank you, Kelly. Bye, guys. Bye. Thank you for taking the time to be with us.
• 13:23
  If you like what you heard, please share, review, and subscribe. You can learn more about the project and see a list of participants on my website, alisonshelton dot com. We know you have so many ways to spend your time. Thank you for spending some with us. And finally, a huge thank you to producers, Ria Kerrigan and Paul for their artistic and technical know how, generosity, enthusiasm, and for being wonderful people who I'm grateful to call for.
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: I love my world. I love my world. I love my world. Everything is just right. I just love singing about the world and how much I love it.