Interview
Why do you write?
I write to know what I know. I often (almost all the time) feel things deeply but have no words for what I’m feeling, so creating poems helps me to understand my experience and get at what’s true. Also, writing keeps me sane and grounds me like nothing else.
Is there an author who has most profoundly influenced your work?
A few poets I love and wish I could write like are Mary Oliver, William Carlos Williams, Emily Dickinson, Adrienne Rich. There are a million others, but these are the ones that come up first. Also, I’ve been an avid reader of fiction my whole life. Again, too many authors to name, but a few that I love: Ann Patchett, Louise Erdrich, Marge Piercy, and Margaret Atwood. And I can’t imagine my childhood without James and the Giant Peach, A Wrinkle in Time, Stuart Little, and all the Little House books.
Why did you choose Stonecoast?
I heard about Stonecoast from an alum not long after she graduated, and what she said lit a spark in me. I looked at other low-res programs but this one stood out for its community, it’s faculty, and its focus on writing for social justice.
What is your favorite Stonecoast memory?
I’m only in my second semester, but I LOVE my fellow poets so much, the students and the faculty. What a stellar group of people. Also, during my first residency I bonded with two other “firsties” who just happened to be exactly my age — 57 — and the #57club was born. They’ve been a wonderful support and source of joy for me ever since.
What do you hope to accomplish in the future?
I want my work to live outside my own head, in whatever form that takes. Obviously being published comes to mind, but what matters more to me is having an impact on others, moving the needle towards good in the world, even just a teeny bit. I want my poems to point others towards joy because we really really need that right now.
If you could have written something already written, what would it be?
I wish I could write a poem as good as “Diving into the Wreck,” by Adrienne Rich. This poem has meant a lot to me for a very long time. It feels useful, the way a map is useful when you’re lost.
Jillian Hanson has been writing all her life, professionally and creatively, alone and in groups. She has worked as a stage actor and director, a freelance writer, and a communications and development specialist in the non-profit sector.
Currently, she’s a partner at Blue Sky Black Sheep (www.blueskyblacksheep.com), where she provides creative coaching/consulting and leads online writing groups. She lives with her husband on Sebago Lake in Raymond, Maine.