I can’t remember exactly where I first met Shirley Brewer, but it was in the mid-2000s and almost certainly at a poetry reading. While the specifics of our first encounter have slipped my mind, the woman herself made a lasting impression. Always clad in bright colors, always sparkling with enthus iasm and accessories, Brewer is a refreshing presence on Baltimore’s literary scene. She doesn’t take herself too seriously, but her poems get to the heart of human experience. Filled with vibrant imagery and energetic sounds, Brewer’s poems don’t shy away from hardship and loss; rather, they examine life’s challenges with honesty and a belief in the redemptive power of creativity and human connection.  It was my pleasure to speak with Brewer about her most recent collection, Goddess of Swizzle.  [email protected] http://bonnieschupp.com Baltimore Fishbowl: During your launch at The Ivy, you mentioned that about 20 years ago, you decided to live a creative life. I love that. Could you talk about that decision and how you define “creative life”? Shirley Brewer: When I finally retired from teaching 25 years ago, I felt it was time to embrace creativity as a way of life. I began with earning an MA from the University of Baltimore in Creative Writing/Publications Design. At graduation, I won the first-ever Creativity Award bestowed by that program. For the past 13 years, I’ve been the resident poet at Carver Center for the Arts in Towson, where I teach poetry classes to sophomores and seniors every fall. I also serve on the board of Passager Books, a small, independent press that publishes the work of writers over the age of fifty. Every year, I teach a poetry workshop on Poetry Day at Manor Mill in Monkton. I try to attend as many readings and art openings as possible and belong to several writers’ groups. BFB: In “Self-Portrait in 22 Lines,” the speaker describes the writing process: “You might say: She tries to capture a little sugar, a little light.” Would you say this is how you view poetry and its purpose? And could you talk about your own writing process?  SB: That’s an interesting question, especially since I just took an online workshop last week with the poet Ellen Bass on “Humor in Poetry.” There is truth in the sugar and light, but I’m also not afraid to go dark, and I often do – sometimes in the same poem. I think it’s important to explore all aspects of the human experience in poetry, but I do love a light moment. As for my writing process, I receive inspiration from so many sources. I subscribe to Two Sylvias Press weekly newsletter, and each issue contains at least two writing prompts. The last poem I wrote sprang from a sweet encounter on the Charm City Circulator bus, on the way to CityLit. Too late for Goddess of Swizzle… maybe it will be in the next book. BelleOn the Charm City Circulator bus,a man with gray sideburnstells me my voice reminds him of Belle,his beloved grandmother. She’s 103, he says.103! Here I’m thinking I look so cutein my light denim shirt, cool blue high tops—my blonde hair frilly with curls.I imagine Belle as a spry goddesscooking collard greens in her spotless kitchen.She wears a lacy apron dotted with pepperflakes and glitter. Delicate silver bellsdangle from her ears. Yoga poses start her day—downward facing dog. Belle gives thanksfor lavender hills, apple trees, coffee ice cream.Time doesn’t fly, she told a reporterat her 100th birthday extravaganza. It walksby your side, watches you. You’d better fillthose hours well, honey, she grins, her voicea musical version of tough love. Belle:coach, mentor, flourishing CEO of the clock. BFB: Tell us a little about where “the goddess of swizzle” comes from. SB: “Swizzle” means “to stir.” In this collection, I’m stirring up memories from my life and experiences, and also my imagination.  The word “goddess” has special meaning to me since I took Dr. Carol Peirce’s class Gifts of the Goddess at UB in the spring of 2003. That class was life-altering, because we found aspects of each goddess in our own lives. I still have all my books and notes from that class! And it was the last section of the class Dr. Peirce taught, as she became ill and then retired that year. So, when I wrote the poem, “Goddess of Swizzle,” about my bartending experiences at Captain Clyde’s, I didn’t want to be the Mixologist of Swizzle, or the Queen of Swizzle. I became the Goddess of Swizzle.  BFB: Let’s hear a little more about Captain Clyde’s. SB: Captain Clyde’s was a bar/restaurant in Arnold, MD on Deep Creek Drive, already a little rundown when I worked there for two summers in the 80s. The long bar faced the back of the restaurant which faced the water, so every evening I got to watch the sunset through the big windows. I don’t recall making a huge amount of tips but the view of boats and sky and sometimes the full moon was the real bonus, leading to the closing line of the poem. “Stars like specks of beer foam spatter the perfect night sky.” The owners were Brenda and Clyde, who lived next door to the restaurant. I remember always having to remind myself not to call her “Bonnie.” They were no-nonsense types, but warm with their guests.The interior boasted a huge jukebox that lit up at night like a glowing meteor from another planet. It was the centerpiece of the restaurant! Clyde’s attracted a lot of locals, as well as the oystermen, who parked their skipjacks at the dock, and then sat at the bar calling for beer. So there I was, the Goddess of Swizzle, pouring beer, instead of mixing cocktails. But as is probably clear in the poem, I came to love the place.  BFB: This is your fifth collection. How is this book similar to/different from your previous ones? Was the process of writing it different in any way? Has your subject changed much? What did you learn from earlier publications that helped with this book? SB: My first book, A Little Breast Music, was published by Passager Books in 2008. The editors asked for all my poems, selected the ones for the book, arranged the order, chose the title and design. I never saw the book until it was finished. In a way, it was great, because I didn’t have to do anything, and I loved the finished product. But I didn’t learn much about putting a manuscript together.  After Words was published by Apprentice House in 2013. It’s completely different from most of my poetry, in that it’s an elegy to a young man, Stephen Pitcairn whom I never met but wanted to honor after his untimely death. I was involved in every facet of its production. Main Street Rag published Bistro in Another Realm (2017). I moved into a format that is like Wild Girls and Goddess of Swizzle. Each of these books contains poems arranged in sections. In Bistro, you will find family poems, ekphrastic poems, poems plucked from the news and life experiences. Wild Girls is filled with strong women from my family, history, the arts, my imagination. Goddess of Swizzle stirs up reflections from childhood, adolescence, and midlife. BFB: The poems here flow together so beautifully and seem to be in conversation with each other. How did you decide on the order of the collection? SB: I took a long time with this collection, crafting the poems and listening to where they wanted to be placed in the book. Once I decided on the quote at the beginning of each section (every quote is from one of my poems) that seemed to set the tone.  In the process of putting together this book, I eliminated several poems, but I still ended up with more than sixty. A full course meal. Hopefully, for the reader, a feast. EventsMonday, May 4, Manor Mill Feature Poet, 6:30 pmhttps://www.manor-mill.com/event/poetry-night-shirley-j-brewer Friday, June 5 , Maryland Writer’s Association First Fridays, Feature Poet, 7 pm, via Zoomhttps://marylandwriters.org/First_Fridays Sunday, June 21, Poetry at the Palisades, Feature, 1-3 pm212 Washington Ave. Towson, MD 21204 ...read more read less