exhale interviews :: sage cohen

I first discovered Sage Cohen’s work through Writer Mama Chistina Katz’s blog. As I read Sage’s guest posts I always find myself savoring every word she writes and eagerly anticipating more. Most recently I have been following along as she shares the beautiful story of the recent births of her “mixed-media twins”— her first child and her first book.

 

I was already smitten by Sage and her writing, but when I read this on her website, I felt a soul connection to Sage and the work that she is doing.

 

“I am striving to understand how we can live more kindly, create more joy, and find more freedom to be who we are. Because I believe that telling the truth is the most important choice we can make in reclaiming our lives, I write.”

 

In honor of National Poetry Month, and the release of Sage’s book, Writing the Life Poetic, it is my great honor to welcome Sage Cohen.

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ebg: How did you come to do the work you are doing?

sc: With a great deal of intention, focus, hard work, love, and patience.

 

When did you first call yourself a poet?

My relationship with poetry was as unselfconscious as breathing for nearly a decade until, at the age of 23, one day the thought struck me: I write and read poetry every day. Maybe this means I’m a (gulp) poet!

 

What is your creative writing process like? 

My creative writing process has been different in each chapter of my life. This is reflected in my collection of poems Like the Heart, the World. The book is organized in three sections, to reflect three consecutive geographies in my life: New York, San Francisco and Portland.

 

In New York, I walked everywhere and carried a small, handheld tape recorder where I whispered my little slivers of street-sightings and trash tracings. Then I’d transcribe these observations into the computer later and write from there. In San Francisco, I had a regular rhythm of freewriting (in longhand, in notebooks) in cafes, often while listening to live acoustic music. I took Natalie Goldberg seriously when she advised not to write in anything too precious—and I went through dozens of regular ‘ole spiral bound notebooks. These days, I have somewhat of a hybrid of my previous two practices. I carry 3×5” index cards everywhere and write down everything that comes—usually while hiking or taking a bath. Eventually, I transcribe these into a document on my computer, which is where I do most of my composing and revising of poems. I don’t do too much freewriting any more, as I don’t seem to need it to drop into the poetry zone like I used to…I also still write in public when I can—I find the stimulation and noise invigorating.

 

In your work with poets and aspiring poets, have you found that there are common challenges to expressing oneself poetically? And how do you help people to overcome these challenges?

While everyone has their own, unique hang-ups, they’re all generally some variation on the theme of doubt in their capacity to succeed in the realm of poetry. Though I work with poets on craft, process and idea generation, I think the most valuable contribution I can make is my confidence that they have what it takes to enjoy writing poetry and enthusiasm about what’s working in their poems.

 

 

Can you please tell us about your family?

I am blessed with a house full of beings I love: my husband Jon, son Theo, dogs Henry and Hamachi and cats Diablo and Valentino. For nearly a decade before meeting Jon, I lived what some would define as “alone”. Because I had the company of some combination of five cats and two dogs during those years, I was flooded on a daily basis with the exchange of unconditional love. There’s nothing less “alone” than that in my book. I still love sleeping sandbagged-in-place by the cats (what’s a little dirt on the bed, right?), and the ecstatic dance of greeting that happens every time I walk in the front door. I wonder what this world would be like if we all greeted each other this way with each meeting.

 

  

 

What was your transition into motherhood like?

Sixty-plus hours of an unmedicated home birth journey, followed by an emergency C-Section and then a week doped up on Percocet! It was an Initiation with a capital I!

 

What forms does child-minding take in your family?

I work from home and our incredibly fabulous nanny spends a chunk of the day with us four days a week. On Fridays my husband, who is in medical school, is on child-minding duty for five hours while I work. The rest of my work happens on evenings and weekends when Theo is asleep. On Friday nights, my husband’s twin brother babysits so we can go out on a date; that’s quite special.

 

Do you have a dedicated work space/studio? What does it look/feel like? Is it in-home, out-of-home, multipurpose/shared etc.

I sure do, and boy am I grateful! (Years ago, when I first started working from home, my “office” was a tiny desk in a bedroom I shared with my boyfriend who was often trying to sleep as I was trying to work. It took more than five years to cultivate a room of my own from there.) My creative studio is a converted attic space on the top floor of our house. It has sloped ceilings, lovely ambient light, a bathroom with a clawfoot tub and a fireplace. It feels like a sanctuary, and I can’t wait to get up there every day to dive in.

 

 

With all the exciting things happening in your world, when and how do you nurture yourself physically/emotionally/spiritually?

I hike with the dogs and baby every morning and take a bath every night. These bookends of receptivity create a wonderful frame around days that are pretty intensely accomplishment-oriented. I also get acupuncture and massage, pet the animals, kiss my son, attend readings whenever I possibly can, talk on the phone to my beloved friends all over the country and enjoy the delicious, nutritious meals that my husband Jon cooks. And most importantly–the breath and heartbeat and prayer beneath it all—I write.

 

 

What advice would you share with others who have a creative spirit and big dreams?

Write down every reason you might not be able to do what you want to do. Make sure to list every person and thing in your way…every grudge you’re holding…every negative thing someone told you about how or why you can’t do it. Let the list be exhaustive.

 

When you’re finished, burn the list and let it all go. Then put your butt in the chair and get to it!

 

Thank you Sage for sharing your time with us and for sharing your light with the world!

 

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Sage has generously offered a signed copy of her beautiful new book, Writing the Life Poetic, to two exhale. return to center. readers. To enter just leave a comment here between now and Sunday at 4 p.m. EST.

 

Good luck and happy weekend to you!!

 

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Comments closed. And the winners are…

Terri, who said: Awesome! I love it and can’t wait to be the winner of one of Sage’s books! :)

 

and Denise, who said: I like these interviews. A fellow PNW’er too!

 

Congratulations to you both (you are going to LOVE the book!!!!) and thank you again, Sage!