A SWORN CREATIVE

CELEBRATED AUTHOR OF IMAGISTICS, ALPHABETICAL POETRY, NEXT AND NEXT

With the September theme centred on 'teeth,' one among the things that come to mind is how some people have a sweet tooth, a passionate liking for cake or anything sweet. If poetry was such a sugary food item or condiment, to J R Turek it would be finger-licking good, no doubt. She eats, sleeps, walks her poetry and below is how she waxes lyrically about it.

"I am J R Turek, Judy, also known as The Purple Poet for many reasons, including my hair color. I wrote my first poem at 5 and have been writing ever since. For the past 18 years, I have written a poem a day, which translates into at least 365 new poems each year that I like and have stopped editing some, finally. I write short stories as well and have a few incomplete novels that I hope to get back to one day. For now, poetry is my instant gratification. When emotions take hold of me, I write. Through grief and sadness, through joys and laughter, to document events, to remember things I never want to forget, I write. For those who think there’s nothing to write about, consider this. I have a collection of poems on dust. Yes, dust. Close your eyes, open your eyes, there are poems waiting to be written everywhere.

For me, poetry is like breathing – I can’t imagine my life without it. I love the metaphor ‘poetry is in my blood.’ If I slit open a vein, poetry would pour out. Poetry is healing, cathartic, letting words mingle on the page to create images, presented with a lyric quality, and a clarity to allow readers to step inside my poems with me.

I love being a mentor to other poets, helping them to write better, guiding them to publish if that is their goal, and working with them to assemble their poetry books. I delight in others writing and share the glory of their accomplishments. For the past 25 years, I have served as Moderator of the Farmingdale Creative Writing Group, some of the best people I know. It is a peer-level group of writers that come with all levels of experience and varied backgrounds, all supportive and encouraging to members. With the onset of COVID-19 lockdown, we began meeting via Zoom. At first, there was trepidation for many including myself, but when we experienced the level of sharing in a world that closed down in isolation, we flourished in that new environment. Now that we are back to almost normal and meeting in-person, we will continue to meet every other week via Zoom, our silver lining to the pandemic.

Zoom has become my best friend. I have travelled to states and countries I will never go to (physically), met amazing people I would never have known and read my poetry all over the world. The Purple Poet has become a regular at dozens of poetry open mics and is flourishing with inspiration with all the sharing. With many of our local venues back live, I am juggling my readings between live and Zoom, having to make difficult choices but I don’t have a single complaint for having too many poetry opportunities. Perhaps a little less time for writing but, hey, sleep is overrated.

Since March of 2020, I have written poems with other poets, compilations one line at a time via email. I hope to publish them in a few volumes as I now have over 600 pages of poems! We have done free verse, themed, many different form poems, 5 words per line poems, even a 117 part haiku sequence. When you are passionate about poetry and find others to share a portion of that passion, it creates wondrous relationships and connections that no other art form can. I am grateful every day of my life that I am who I am and that I do what I do.

Many people are curious about my pen name. Where does the R come from and what is the significance of the space and no periods? Many years ago, I adopted the name as gender neutral; I was writing several muscle car poems – I am a motorhead – and Home Depot poems – I adore power tools – and back then, it was difficult to be accepted as a female writing about masculine issues. The R is formed by my maiden name, Raffaele, and made my dad so proud of his ‘poet daughter.’ There is a space between the J for Judy and the R for Raffaele, and no periods, no lowercase. Simple but it is often wrong. I am strong, I am resilient, I am a poet.

I write because I have to, because I feel like I would explode if I didn’t. As a result, and not as a requirement, I have six poetry books, with a seventh due out soon. The thrill of creating a legacy has not dimmed for me since my first book, They Come And They Go, in 2005, sequenced by seasons, people and how fleeting time and relationships can be. It is out of print and no longer available.

Next Imagistics, a 10-year journey to create; it's in two sections with four parts in each section. The first section is emblematic poems, also called concrete or picture poems, like a fish, a shoe, a teardrop, our American flag, all in poetic picture form. The second section is formal poems, structured form poems, that include haiku, villanelle, and my favourite sestinas. It is fun and formal. I love this book for the dedication to detail despite the years it took to complete.

The following book, A is for Almost Anything, is an alphabetic book where all the titles begin with A. In stark contrast with Imagistics, this was easier to create and sequence. B is for Betwixt and Between followed, all B titled poems in alphabetic sequence. I am in search of a title for the C book and welcome suggestions. Midnight on the Eve of Never is different from the previous books. It balances time and mortality; the poems are darker in theme and substance, though some lighter poems add rays of hope. Given the

subject, it is ironic that the books were delivered to my publisher the day of my brother, Mikey’s funeral. Though it never got a formal book launch, I love the book for the nuances it has now taken on with the loss of my only sibling and the last of my immediate family.

Poetry isn’t all dancing daisies as I like to say, but it’s also not all doom and gloom. I adore experimenting with form, with how the poem looks on a page, adding movement, creating a new experience for me and the reader, and letting go of conventions.

My sixth book, 24 in 24, is the result of an amazing experience. The Poetry Marathon (thepoetrymarathon.com) is an annual worldwide event that takes place between 9am (my time zone) Saturday and runs through 9am Sunday each year in June. You write 24 poems in 24 hours. I have invited friends to sign up and we text through the tough hours overnight, share laughs and yawns, and we keep writing. It is invigorating, exhilarating, challenging, and a remarkable experience that I have done three times. I loved everything I wrote on my first poetry marathon so much that I published them in the collection, 24 in 24. As a poet, I lie. There are actually 26 poems in the book. One I wrote the day before, thinking about the marathon, and another I wrote in a zoom poetry event after the marathon, foregoing a nap. I love the poems and I love the experience. My seventh book is the 24 poems I wrote in this year’s poetry marathon. Try it – it’s unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. Invite friends to join you, I just did.

I am proud to be a poet and endeavour to bring poetry to places where poetry isn’t. I have been commended with several local and state governmental proclamations for my poetry. The Conklin Prize for Poetry has been given only twice and I am one of the recipients. I was named a 2020 Hometown Hero by the East Meadow Herald, a local newspaper, and a 2017 New York State Woman of Distinction for my poetry contributions to our communities. I am Associate Editor, board member, and event host for several local poetry organisations. I was the first Bards Laureate for The Bards Initiative, 2013 - 2015. My proudest title is the 2019 Long Island Poet of The Year, a gracious honor issued by Walt Whitman Birthplace Association on Walt’s 200th birthday.

In addition to writing, I am also an editor and have edited hundreds of poetry books, anthologies, and novels. My poetry has won a number of awards and I have been ‘Judge Judy’ for dozens of poetry contests. I am the Superintendent of Poetry for the Long Island Fair. I have over a thousand poems published to date; several of my poems have been translated into Korean, Romanian, French, and Italian – I am international!

My biggest fan by far is my husband, Paul. We have been married for over 37 years and he is super supportive of me and my poetry, the hours reading and editing, teaching, traveling to readings with me at times, and as of late, has become an amazing editor for some of my poetic experiments. We have rescued 10 dogs in 37 years, or more accurate to say they have rescued us. Currently, we have three: Snickers is 14; Munchkin Is 2; and Gumball is 1.5 and growing, he’s 160 pounds already. They all think I invented poetry and that every word I write is gold. I adore them and write about them often.

Harry, my muse, and I are best friends most of the time. He pushes me when I weaken, prompts me all the time, shows me intricate details that become poems. He is kind yet relentless in my practice of poetry. That to me is what a poem a day is – practice. If I wanted to play great piano, I would have to practice every day. So, I practice poetry every day. I never want to write the perfect poem. What would I do tomorrow?

I’d love to hear from you! You can reach me at purplepoet@optonline.net. Contact me as Judy Turek on Facebook. Five of my six books are available on Amazon and B&N but if you contact me, I will give you a great price and sign them for you. As I sign every email and note I write, I hope you… write on!"

What more could one ask for when the kind of artistry knowledge shared out is explicit as above. Perhaps, what's due is only and only a profound show of gratitude to J R Turek, for being a free-spirited community teacher with an exceedingly rich artistry experience.

Interviewed by Brian Manyati

tawandamanyati@gmail.com +263772815211