6 minute read
The World of Poetry Is for Everyone
Words by Sydney Holets | Photo courtesy of Chris Martin
Professor of Creative Writing at Hamline Chris Martin is a writer and educator, but his teaching and passion for poetry goes beyond the college classroom.
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“We act as if everyone doesn’t need poetry, but everyone can benefit from writing it. There is always a need for poetry,” Martin said. He embodies this idea through his own work and dedication to the craft, which came about early in his life, but rather unexpectedly.
Martin grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in a household filled with books, as both of his parents were writers. But his love for reading and writing didn’t begin there.
As a child, Martin loved math. Not yet settled into the world of writing, Martin said his friends were his first influencers: “I didn’t start writing until I saw my friends writing poetry, and it seemed challenging so I wanted to give it a try.” He drew inspiration for his writing from rap music, so his first poems were more like song lyrics.
Martin’s passion for writing grew as he did, leading him to Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, and later to New York. He moved to New York after graduating from Carleton to be a full-time writer and touring poet. He knew it would be difficult to live on “poet money.”
“It was a good tax write-off, but you lose money as a poet,” Martin chuckled.
Even when he was living and going on reading tours with friends, it wasn't a financially practical lifestyle. So, Martin picked up a part-time job teaching at a private organization and discovered a new passion: teaching students with disabilities about poetry. He taught subjects ranging from history to public speaking to specialized areas, but centered each around creative writing to bring learning to life.
“I tried to funnel subjects through the lens of creative writing whenever possible,” Martin said. He worked with one particular student on the spectrum who loved airplanes, and together they researched and wrote a play about the Wright brothers.
Martin wasn’t working as many hours with the organization, which fit well with his writing, but it was intense work: “There were times when I’d get home and feel like my brain couldn’t work.”
Despite the intensity, he still loved what he was doing. When he moved back to Minnesota, he wanted to continue teaching poetry to students with autism because the two always seemed to work well together. This inspired him to create the organization Unrestricted Interest. Here, Martin works with hundreds of students with autism in the United States and Canada, as well collaborates with schools to bring poetry into their systems. The name “Unrestricted Interest” comes from the concept that people with autism have restricted interests, and how the formal characteristics of poetry can help align people’s different patterns and encourage freedom of expression.
Martin found another love for teaching at the college level, eventually bringing him to Hamline. He says the best part of teaching is having conversations with students.
“There’s something about the room and the energy that allows me to learn,” Martin said. “I am so much smarter when I am surrounded by intelligent people than I am at home.”
Though it is good work, it’s difficult at times. He enjoys learning alongside students, so sometimes he assigns writers who he has heard of but hasn’t read himself.
“The hardest part is choosing what to teach because there are so many awesome books,” Martin said. “Sometimes I teach whole books, sometimes individual poems, but whatever pathways I choose, I like to keep things as contemporary as possible, preferably books written within the last two years.” Poetry is always changing, and it’s important to read living poets, as there is much to be learned from newer voices and more experimental forms.
Being a creative writer and educator for years allows Martin to constantly find new books to read. One of the latest books he’s most excited about is See It Feelingly by Ralph James Savarese, a disability scholar and professor at Cornell University. This book focuses on dispelling ideas surrounding people with autism lacking social understanding. Martin also enjoys The End of the World podcast, a post-apocalyptic sitcom, and the Seeing White podcast, which examines America’s history of white supremacy.
One of Martin’s favorite experiences as a writer is getting letters in the mail from people who have read his work. “I like to joke about being a famous poet, so when someone has actually read my work, it’s so exciting.”
He points out that it’s been amazing to meet some of his writing heroes and get to see young writers grow and become more popular. Getting the opportunity to give a reading to people who clearly care about the words and the difference they can make is one of Martin’s favorite things to do within his career:
Martin’s hobbies outside his writing career include “meeting people and lots of childcare,” as he has two children, ages five and two. Running his organization Unrestricted Interest also takes up much of his time, but he says, “I feel so blessed to be able to find this fulfilling work.”
Having writing as a lifelong career allows for experimentation with new elements of writing. Martin usually works with form first, and then pours everything else into it. “It can backfire sometimes, but I’m always looking for the form,” he says. He frequently borrows ideas or phrases from film, rap, and other music and believes
Martin’s writing and career has come a long way, but he wishes his view on poetry was more unified in his younger years. He used to function as if rap, spoken word, and page poetry were very different, when in reality they have similar roots and can easily be combined to create experimental forms.
“People would refer to me as ‘the rapping poet’ because I did it all at the same time, but I wish I had figured out a better way to blend it together, rather than keeping them separate,” he said. Martin is a big believer in mistakes and how generative they can be. There is a lot of growth and lessons that can come from making mistakes. They don’t always equate to failure, which is something he’s learned from his college years.
Martin is currently in the process of writing four books, one of which has the rough title of Hugging Machine for the Mind. This book will consist of several essays examining the connection between poetry and bringing expression to people with autism. He said, “It uses poems written by my students with autism to explode myths about autism and change the way people think about poems.” With this book, he aims for it to advocate for both autistic voices and poetry.
His other upcoming work, Things to Do in Hell, is a book of poems to be published in 2020. Martin’s book will also be featured on the Poetry Now podcast on April 1. The belief that everyone needs poetry has been a driving force behind Martin’s life and career, and that is seen in the impact he's had on young writers:
His inspiring dedication has been life-changing for college students and young neuro-diverse writers alike, only fulfilling his belief that the beautiful world of poetry is possible for anyone who seeks it.
