A Call to Conversation (23)--:devdisrhythmic:

Jul 24, 201310 min read

Deviation Actions

Published: Jul 24, 2013

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Welcome to the 23rd article focusing on featuring and getting to know the deviants behind the work! This series will be posted every Wednesday. If you have a deviant you'd like to see included, please send =TwilightPoetess a note with the subject "Call to Conversation"--make sure to include the deviant's name as well as a reason you think they'd make a good interview subject! Also, feel free to send along a question or two you'd like to have answered by them!

This week's featured deviant is disrhythmic!

One of those deviants that EVERYONE should know, disrhythmic's pieces keep readers enthralled throughout. With a beautiful ear for imagery and a way of lulling readers into a false sense of security before ripping the rug from beneath them, her gallery is sure to keep you returning for more, so definitely check out her stuff! You won't be disappointed!

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So, first--does your username have a story? Care to share with us?

I wish it meant something profound, but the truth is I was joining a forum a year or two ago and used the first cool-sounding thing I thought of. And I misspelled it.

Tell us a little bit about the groups you admin for?

is dedicated to celebrating the art of the spoken word! You can submit pieces you've read aloud to the group gallery, or request a reading by submitting to the group favorites. We're always looking for fresh blood and new voices, so if you'd like to get involved, join!

is SilverInkblot's brainchild, and she was kind enough to invite me on as a contributor. The group is for a new kind of found poetry: stringing together poems from the titles of deviations. More information can be found on the group's page, and the faves are a great resource for cool titles.

What do you think that reading pieces aloud brings an audience? Is it different from just reading the piece to yourself somehow?

I'm going to go on a tangent here: I've always liked listening to people and hearing different accents and voices, so stumbling across Librivox (free, public domain, volunteer-read audiobooks) when I was 14 was kind of a revelation. Listening to Classics narrated by readers who really knew what they were doing--where to pause and what to stress and which emotions to convey--was so much more satisfying than trying to slog through it on my own.

Eventually I started absorbing the rhythm and sound of language in addition to the meaning, and I started paying attention to it when I wrote. Avoiding heavy-handed alliteration, adding line breaks and editing punctuation to fit the flow I was looking for--things like that.

And so now to finally answer your question (sorry!) I read my work aloud because I want others to hear it the way I heard it as I wrote it, and hopefully enjoy the end result.

Pick three of your favorite lit pieces from your gallery and tell us a little about why you like them?

with thanks to salinger is probably my best work, and something I'm very proud of--it's a succession of images I feel like I got right instead of my usual one-note short poetry.

lovesong for sailorboy isn't my best, I don't think, but it's certainly my favorite, for reasons I ramble on about in the recording. Shameless bit of self-promotion there, I'm afraid.

cervine is a one-note, but dammit, it's my favorite one-note. I just feel like I succeeded with it. It says what I wanted it to say.

Are there any themes/poetic devices/images you favor? Why do you think that is?

I can relate any emotion to the sea. Really. It's a curse.

It's my deepest love and my greatest fear all at once.

I cheat on it everyone once in a while with the desert, usually when I'm in the mood to write something lonely and emo, but that's happening less and less lately.

You've done a few visual poems--tell us a little about that? (i.e. How you find the words, what you do from there, why you like the form, etc.)

The hardest part of a visual poem for me isn't finding the words, it's figuring out how to actually connect them without crossing out or covering up something I need.

I suppose it might be easier with a pencil and eraser, but I can never bear to hurt a book--even one I hate. I actually have a supremely disappointing book on my shelf I've been thinking about scribbling on, but I caaaaan't.

Do you have any unique or odd techniques for fighting off writers block?

I write to photos I find on dA all the time--that's what the Inspiration folder in my faves is for. I also find hanging out with my chickens for a while to be extremely therapeutic.

What are some of your favorite words? Least favorite? Why?

Ooh. I like words that roll off the tongue, like 'aqueous' and 'consequence'.

'Turd' should not exist.

What (or who) inspires you?

The ocean. Whales. F. Scott Fitzgerald. Photography. Music, endlessly. Phrases I hear (or mishear). My insanely cinematic dreams. Daydreams of roadtripping with my best friend.

Are there any deviants you are intimidated by or look up to? Who, and what is it about them that draws you?

ALL THE DEVIANTS.

Really, though. There's so much talent on here that it's maddening when I don't have the time to read everything. If I must pick a couple favorites...

I have to mention by best friend brighteyes25, who's relatively new to dA, but I've known her for years and she's the most amazing buddy I've ever had. I don't know what I'd do without her support and GIF attacks.

enigmaticsmile has a way with minimalism and crafting moods that I'm extremely envious of. He's also a very dear friend who's been extremely supportive of me, and I can't thank him enough.

FuzzyHoser is my favorite person to be bossed by.

The fact that she's taken the time to give me a push in the right direction gives me warm fuzzies.

intricately-ordinary has a beautiful mind. I mean holy hell. She consistently takes metaphors and phrases that blow my mind and fills them out and connects them in ways I never could.

I fangirl unashamedly over Sammur-amat, glossolalias, Is-lnds, 0hgravity, KtheCard (my heart broke when she deactivated), TheFoxAstronaut (same), and vespera, just to name a few.

Pick a couple of words. If they each had a distinct flavor or scent, what would it be?

I actually have this weird little thing where certain words play a sound effect in my head ('fox' sounds like bushes rustling and 'underhand' sounds like cards shuffling) but I guess that wasn't the question.

I literally sat here for over an hour pondering this, but I keep defaulting to obvious things like 'chocolate' smelling like chocolate, so... pass?

What is one thing you wish you saw more of on dA?

More ways for visual artists and writers to collaborate! I can add deviation thumbnails to a poem in Sta.sh, but I can only submit it as a journal.

That said, I'm really really excited to get my hands on the MotionBook builder thing that was announced a while back. That looks to be quite awesome for visual/literary collabs.

Last question: You are allowed, for one day only, to live in an animal's shoes. What animal do you choose and what do you spend your day doing?

I'd trade places with a whale and explore the deep ocean.

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Thank you, disrhythmic, for taking the time to speak with us today! It was a ton of fun!

For our readers: Pick your favorite word. If it had a distinct flavor or scent, what would it be?

Feel free to comment and discuss, but be respectful! If you enjoyed this interview, please add it to your

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