In Mother Monster, Father Fiend: An Anthology of the Monsters Who Raised Us, poet R.G. Evans explores the complicated legacy of childhood, family relationships, and the wounds we carry into adulthood. His four poems in the anthology—“Retort,” “Correction,” “Belief,” and “MATCH FLARE, 3 AM”—look at difficult relationships with parents while also considering the possibility of breaking cycles of violence and choosing what we pass on to the next generation. In this interview, Evans discusses where his poems come from, the power of language to uncover what we leave unsaid, and why writing about trauma does not necessarily mean portraying an entirely traumatic childhood. He also shares what he’s working on now, including a chapbook inspired by the recovery process and the stories of Genesis.
Q: Your four poems in Mother Monster, Father Fiend—“Retort,” “Correction,” “Belief,” and “MATCH FLARE, 3 AM”—deal with difficult and complicated family relationships. What made you want to explore these particular ideas through poetry?
A: My daily morning practice is to read a few published poems, paying what William Stafford called “a certain kind of attention.” Most days, inspiration arises organically from the reading, so when it comes time for me to write, what I write about on any given day is a surprise to me. “Retort,” for instance, originated from my encountering the name of the furnace used for cremation. “Belief,” I’m pretty sure, arose from reading a poem about folk beliefs and superstitions. So what made me want to explore these ideas was really the luck of the draw depending on what I may have been reading that day.