How did you first come to visual poetry? What is it about the form that resonates?
I have always been mindful of the visual elements of writing, e.g., line breaks, since these elements affect how a poem is read and interpreted. Only recently have I combined writing with overt visual elements to make something that could be called “visual poetry”, although it is quite a natural thing to do for a poet and visual artist.
How does a visual poem begin?
Mine usually begin with fragments of text, either from my own writing or from a book/magazine. I collage these fragments together with visual elements to achieve some sort of visual–poetic result.
Do you see your work as a single, extended project, or a series of threads that occasionally weave together to form something else?
The latter. I like to experiment, and I tend to follow various threads at the same time. I like to let intuition and chance play a large role in my work. My only extended project is to express myself.
How do you see your writing and visual poetry in conversation, if at all?
I see writing and visual poetry as modes of expression that differ slightly in their use of textual and visual elements. I might write or make visual poetry or art depending on my mood or what I want to express.
Have you a daily schedule by which you work, or are you working to fit this in between other activities?
I generally make art and write in the evenings after work. I can do visual art pretty much every day, but I need inspiration to work on poems.
What are your favourite print or online literary journals?
A Gathering of the Tribes and Posit are my favourite online journals. Die Leere Mitte and Word For/Word print lovely little softcover issues with experimental work, including visual poetry.
Who are some of the artists you have engaged with lately that most excite you?
Some of my favourite poets lately have been Elizabeth
Robinson, Margaret Ross, Suphil Lee Park, and J.I. Kleinberg.
Jasper Glen is a Canadian poet and collage artist. His work appears or is forthcoming in The Brooklyn Review, Harpur Palate, A Gathering of the Tribes, Posit, Amsterdam Quarterly, BlazeVOX, and elsewhere. Poems have been nominated for Best New Poets and the Pushcart Prize. Website: jasperglen.com. Instagram: @jasperglenart