10 Quick Questions with Faith Garbin
Your favorite novel.
That’s a tough one. I’ll go with a couple of my most recent favorite novels: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr; The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, Miss Jane by Brad Watson, and Dispatches from Pluto by Richard Grant.
2. What inspired you to start writing?
Teachers inspired me (along with a certain sense of loneliness and introversion). I wrote my 1st story as a 6th grader (I’m not saying it was good), and my 1st poem the next year (a children’s poem, “The Cannibal”). Various teachers told me I was talented and they encouraged me to keep journals. In college, my creative writing professor (Dr. Claude Clayton Smith) entered one of my stories in the Hollins Literary Festival and it won first place. That same story was listed in Writer’s Digest in the top 100 stories. Also, I’m an avid reader, so writing followed that love.
3. Do you have (or have you ever had) a muse? If so, who/what?
I’m not sure he’s my muse, but he shows up in my dreams quite often — George Bernard Shaw. He makes himself comfortable in my dreams and talks about writing.
4. Your favorite poem.
That’s an unfair question for a poet. I’ll choose one from the past (“The Abortion” by Anne Sexton) and a current one (“Home” by Warsan Shire). Both are haunting to me.
5. Your favorite Alabama plant.
The iris is my favorite plant. I love purple irises.
6. Five words which describe you.
Empathetic, Anxious, Introverted, Tenacious, Ruminative
7. One way in which AWC changed/impacted your life.
The AWC with its members, Conclave, competitions, etc. validated me as a “real writer.” I’ve made wonderful creative friends who love words like I do. The Conclave provides learning and networking experiences. I read my work in front of an audience for the first time at the Conclave.
8. What are you working on right now?
My free time is spent promoting/marketing my poetry collection How We Bury Our Dead (recently published by Negative Capability Press). I’m also working on a series of essays (memoir). And lately, Eve (yes, THAT Eve) keeps whispering in my ear about a poetry project she wants to be part of. (I’m waiting to hear Shaw’s thoughts on that!)
9. Your favorite place in Alabama and why.
I love Fairhope with its artists, Gulf Shores with its beautiful beaches, and Mobile where my two daughters were born.
10. One thing you need right now to help you as a writer.
Time. I work full-time as a law library manager, and I’m involved in various organizations. Add to that a husband, two grown daughers, twin granddaughters, an elderly mother, and a book to promote, and whew, you get the idea. (I also need more visits from Shaw.)
Faith Garbin is currently doing readings for her poetry collection. Learn more about Faith at www.faithgarbin.com and contact her for readings. Facebook: @FaithGarbinAuthor
Twitter: @FaithGarbin1
