When I visited Mount Eliza North Primary School I had the great pleasure of working with groups of young, enthusiastic poets and their teachers. When I arrived these young poets were loaded with lots of questions for me to answer. I tried to answer as many as I could, but we ran out of time, so I agreed to answer more questions right here! So here goes: When you were little did you love writing? The short answer is yes. I have always enjoyed words and language. I can't recall a time when I wasn't doing some kind of writing. When did you write your first poetry book? I have had poems published, but it wasn't until 2014 that I had an entire book of poems (an anthology) published. When I looked back through all my notebooks I realized I had hundreds of poems from which to choose. So, 'Searching For Hen's Teeth-Poetry From The Search Zone' became my first collection of poems to go public.  How many poetry books do you own? I am not really sure o...

It's fascinating to think about the range of amazing  things  that influence our writing.  I was sitting in my favourite writing space recently when I noticed the distinctive sound of a lawn mower outside in a neighbour's garden. I no longer have to do this chore, but I hold strong memories of being mower man. The sounds, smells and the action are  strikingly  clear in my mind.  As I began to recall my adolescent years, I remembered the mowing of the family lawns and this simple little poem helped me recapture the memory.  It's something to consider when thinking about recounting your past. You don't always have to write a recount. You clearly have options.  Lawn Thoughts Alan j Wright Mowing the lawn                    Is clippings in your hair Up your nose      ...