Some of the things that influence me in a big way is what I am listening to
at the time that I write. Music can somehow manage to set the mood to a particular mindframe of thinking.
If i want to write something dealing with emotion, for instance--I really dive into music like Nina Simone or something like This Mortal Coil or Sarah Mclachlan.
Other times if I want my poems to have a certain kind of playfulness to them I put on a little Ani Difranco or Tori Amos. Music has always been important to my life ever since I started listening to it at the age of 13. I started off writing lyrical poems that were in the spirit of the things Billy Corgan wrote of the Smashing Pumpkins. That man is a great lyricist when he has the right influences. I hope to someday be as good with my poems. I am working on my manuscript of poetry and plan to have it finished by the new year. I have two particular places I am going to send them to, one of which I have met the person who does promotion work for a certain book press based in the midwest. I had the chance of meeting her at the Festival of Books held last month in DeadWood, SD. I tell you you never know who you're going to meet as long as you take that chance to dive into things. Below are some links to the artists who influence me. The rest you can find on my links to the side.


Nina Simone
PJ Harvey
Rachael Yamagata
This Mortal Coil
Sarah McLachlan
Ani Difranco