Writer Popek
Rachael takes the Write Step with 100,000 Poets for Change
By Doug Holder
Rachael Popek is the
producer for R Jeffreys’ popular radio show the Write Step and is the Executive Coordinator, (working alongside
Program Coordinator and Co-Chair R Jeffreys , and Coordinating Liaison and
Co-Chair Kathleen Bitetti) for the 100,000
Poets for Change event at the Boston Public Library, Copley Branch, Sept 29
at 1PM to 3PM. According to Popek’s website the event will be”…the largest,
single poetry reading in the history of the world. This event will also be
archived, recorded and stored at Stanford University in California, and
simulcast throughout the globe that day.”
Popek is also a
Master Pastry Chef working for MultiGrains
Bakery as an R&D specialist and Quality
Director. I talked with Popek on my Somerville Community Access TV show Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer.
Doug Holder: You
are intimately involved in the 100,000
Poets for Change event next month at the Boston Public Library in
September. You are not a poet…how and why did you get involved?
Rachel Popek: I
am not a poet. My good friend R. Jefferys is the poet; I produce his radio
show The Write Step on Blogtalk
Radio. So when he decided to organize the 100,000
Poets for Change event, I went along with it. And I have become absolutely
enamored with it. It is amazing to me that something that is usually considered
as benign as poetry can be used in an activist manner. Over the centuries
people believed poetry was quiet, benign, artistic and eccentric. I’m learning
about literary history. And I have found out to my surprise that poetry has
been one of the motivating factors in our history.
DH: Any favorite
poets?
RP: When I was a
young girl it was Robert Frost. I love Frost, and I loved the stories he told
through his poetry. My parents used to read Robert Frost to me. Later poetry
had gone by the wayside in my life but now I have come back to it.
DH: Can you tell
me about the 100,000 Poets for Change event
that you are involved with?
RP: On Sept. 29,
2012 there will be over 600 events and readings across the country that will be
broadcast over the internet. The events will be taking place at many times
throughout the day. It’s going to be bigger than last year’s event. The reading
in Boston will be in the mezzanine of the Boston Public Library from 1PM to
3PM—and will be open to the public.
Featured poets will be R Jeffreys, January O’Neil, Charles Coe, Harris
Gardner, Doug Holder, Sam Cornish and Philip Robinson.
DH: You are the
producer of the popular Blogtalk radio show the Write Step hosted by R Jeffreys. Tell me about the show and your
duties.
RP: The show
presents interviews with poets, artists, writers, and musicians. We discuss
what it takes to write what they write. We cover their upcoming books, albums,
etc… We explore their own personal process through their creative work. We ask
questions like: What does it take for you to create?
DH: How do you
find your guests?
RP: R Jeffreys has an intricate network of
friends. Some people come to us. Others we contact when we hear a new book is
coming out.
DH: You are a
Master Pastry Chef. That is very creative. How did you get involved with this?
RP: It started
when someone dared me. Originally I was doing cooking at home. So someone said
I should take the course and see if I could promote myself. My father who was a
salesman, and traveled the world, told me he had a friend in France who would
take me on as an apprentice. My two kids went with me. It was a great
experience. I was in Paris every weekend. I was told to stay in France because
America was not a good place for a pastry chef, especially for a woman. I didn’t know how right this was. When I came
back I couldn’t get a job because I didn’t have experience—it was a man-driven
business.
DH: Can you make
parallels between being a chef, and writing?
RP: Both start
out with a summation. Writing consists of these questions: what is the story going to be about?—how am I am I going to
break the story down?—what are the main characters, etc.?… You do the same thing when you build a
cake—when you are going to build a reputation. You go from scratch. The story
and the cake have a foundation layer—so you are writing a cake in a sense.
DH: You are working on a memoir Living Beyond Cancer: Not Just Surviving.
Tell us about this.
RP: In Feb. 2012
I was diagnosed with cancer. I am a middle-aged, single mom-who without work
would not have health insurance, and without insurance there would be no
treatment. I wrote this book which is essentially about compartmentalization. I
took out the unnecessary from my life so not only could I survive physically
and financially, but I could live. I didn’t want to be overwhelmed with debt. I
worked throughout my treatment. I never missed a scheduled day of work. I was
able to physically and mentally compartmentalize.
….. For the 100,000 Poets For Change event go to: http://100tpfcma.weebly.com/performing-poets.html
No comments:
Post a Comment