Meet Zaro Weil
I first heard Zaro speak at a FCBG Conference. She captivated everyone in the room as she shared her poetry, letting it work its magic on the audience. ‘Firecrackers’ was shortlisted for the NSTBA Poetry Category and has been enjoyed by many teachers and their classes since. In 2020, she won CLiPPA with ‘Cherry Moon’. It is a joy to welcome her to the Bookshelf today.
1. This must seem like such an obvious question- but when did you start writing poetry?
It's really a good question. Because so many kids can be inspired to write when they understand that an author they read on a page was once maybe their age and once maybe writing something like a poem. Good food for thought. I began my own writing with Miss Barber in third grade in America. My father saved the piece of paper.
The poem was called; AS WISE AS AN OWL.
HAha! Here it is ...just for fun
As wise an an owl
Who sits in a tree
As busy as a
Busy as a
Busy as a bee
When the leaves go
Chuckle chuckle
Through the woods
The bees are very busy
Making their goods
The sunflowers by day
Shine in the shade
The roses that bloom
At the peak of noon
How happy I am this very day
For spring is heading
Right my way.
2. Animals and nature feature a lot in your poems. What would be the last thing you would ever think of writing a poem about?!
That is a thought provoking idea. And not easy to answer. I suppose I would not want to write a poem about always following the rules to the letter. Or a poem about blindly following the path of straight and narrow. Because I can't help as an author but think in zig zags. I believe creativity and life springs from the unexpected. Where A and B aren't always followed by C.
And also because I think our deepest thoughts and imaginings emerge from a secret place inside us all where logic and rules are secondary to who we are at our core.
Curiously however, sometimes if we follow the rules well, we can come up with wonderful things. Example. Haiku poetry has very strict rules. And by observing those rules and thinking hard beyond the obvious, we can develop a creative idea while following the haiku rules. So I guess what I am saying is that rules and logic can make sense. But we need to balance that concept with the freedom to explore the paths of the unknown and the ziggy-zaggy imaginary.
3. Having heard you speak and read your poems, there is something very special about the way you calmly- gently- present your work which captivates your audience. Do you have a background in acting or are you a ‘natural’ performer?
Oh. Thank you so much for saying that. I love to read and perform for audiences. The fact is I have had over a lot of years of experience as an actor in America performing for children. I used to run a theatre company in the States and every school year we would sing and dance and do plays and poetry for young audiences every single day of the school year. The company is still going! Metro Theater Company.
4. I am sure I’ve heard you say that you love antique quilts. Do you think that piecing a patchwork quilt together is similar in some ways to creating a poem?
What a good way to think about creating a poem. It's true. A poem, like a quilt, is made of carefully positioned individual pieces (cloth and words) which are oh-so-thoughtfully placed next to other and then stitched (with threads and rhythms in patterns) in order to create a zazzling and unified whole.
5. As well as all your wonderful poetry books, you have written a book for children- ‘Spot Guevara Hero Dog’. Do you have plans to write any more of these?
Yes. I wrote SPOT about my wonderful dog SPOT ( who so sadly died last summer...that was really hard) I am planning to write more books about SPOT and there are several non-poetry books which are well on the way.
6. What are you working on at the moment?
The main thing -poetry wise- I have just finished my next collection for kids. I am really REALLY REALLY excited about it.
7. And lastly- and most importantly according to my niece- what is your favourite cake?
I agree with your neice! Most important question...MY FAVOURITE CAKE is CHOCOLATE CAKE!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!!!!
Many thanks to Zaro for agreeing to answer my questions today. I can’t wait to read your new poetry collection in particular! We must meet for a slice of chocolate cake soon!
You can find out more about Zaro on her website and find her on Twitter @zaroweil