by daithi’

What brought you to write poetry?

Shortly after moving to Waitsfield, Vermont, I met the editor of The Mountain Troubadour, Inga Potter. She invited me to a meeting of the Mad River Poets, explaining that I needed to come with “a poem in my hand.”  I did write a poem—my first–and then, at her prompting, I joined the Poetry Society of Vermont—an organization that has nurtured my interest in poetry and encouraged me to develop as a writer. If I hadn’t joined the PSOV, I doubt that I would have become a poet.

In your chapbook, Modern Tapestries, Medieval Looms, you write about the wives of Henry VIII using common women folk. Why that time in history and why common women folk?

I have always been interested in the wives of Henry VIII because they were important; they changed history. In “Anne Boleyn’s Dressmaker,” I told the story from the viewpoint of the dressmaker because she would know Anne intimately, on a personal basis. Also, since Anne Boleyn was a fashion plate, an admirer of dressmaking skills, she would be sympathetic to Anne; she would tell Anne’s story with compassion. 

What was the Poetry Society of Vermont like when you joined it in the late 1990’s –and how is it different now?

The PSOV has changed a great deal in the last 25 years. When I joined in 1998, The Mountain Troubadour was published twice a year. As we know, it is now an annual publication—one that exemplifies the professional and technological growth of the PSOV over the last decade. Also, in 2025 The Vermont Historical Society requested our records; as a result, two complete sets of Troubadours, photos, biographical information, and financial records are now preserved in the state archives in Barre.

The PSOV has also embraced technology in areas other than publication of The Troubadour. Our website, newsletter, online voting for contests, etc. all attest to our organization’s ability to adapt to change as well as our desire to reach out to our members. And the membership of the PSOV has grown. When I joined, we averaged between 85 to 95 members; our ranks now number over 160.

While many PSOV members are aware of the Spring and Fall contests—where members vote for the top 10 poems and the Summer Contests which are selected by outside judges, few are aware of the work done by the Editorial Board. Could you tell us about it?

Being on The Editorial Board is a privilege. We get to read and comment on the poems that our members submit, seeking publication in The Troubadour. When I initially joined the Board, we put submissions into a manila envelope; we then mailed the envelop to each other. Every editor would handwrite comments on each poem; those poems were returned to the writer—again by mail. I never remember more than 40 to 50 submissions.

Today—again given the miracle of technology—we do our work online. The Troubadour Editor sends us copies of the submissions as well as a form allowing us to comment and rate each poem. When our work is completed, the Editor sends us a record of our comments and ratings; we meet and review our work, discussing our criteria. We try very hard to encourage our members to keep writing, to give them the feedback needed if we are to grow as poets.

Again, the PSOV membership is more active than ever; we now receive between 180 and 200 submissions each year. Without technology, we could not handle the task assigned.

Have you seen any changes or trends in poetic forms and voice over time?

Yes, I have. The earliest Troubadours showcase many more rhymed poems. Many of these poems follow traditional formats; the sonnet is especially popular. And, as you would expect, nature and the change of seasons is a major theme in these early Troubadours. Later Troubadours show more willingness to experiment with form and embrace a wider range of topics—including poems on political issues.

What poets have influenced you?

Ted Kooser, Elizabeth Bishop, Denise Levertov. But I also like many of the “older” poets: Wordsworth, Tennyson, Byron and Browning.

Is there anything else that you would like to share?

I’ve thought a long time about the purpose of the PSOV. I think its purpose is “to find, to encourage, the poet in all of us.”