Poet Robert VanderMolen Interview

When Bob comes to the door for The Maia Chronicles interview, Dolce runs to greet him, followed by Sacha. Felicia sits down with him in the family room, and Maia brings coffee and cookies. (Maia's impressed by Bob's latest collection, Water!) When Felicia begins her questions, she has her Blackberry on “record” as a backup for notes, but soon turns it off. For the most part, Bob is a man of few words—fitting for his medium. He is also modest: never mentioning, when questioned about his bio, the NEA Fellowship he was awarded in 1995.


To begin, why don’t you tell me about your writing schedule and habits.

I write when I have time to write. I use pen on legal pad. Edit on the computer.

How old were you when you began writing poetry? Do you still have your first poem?

I was fifteen. I have my first poem somewhere. And I just never stopped writing poems after that time. After high school, I went to Michigan State University on a writing scholarship where I wrote fiction and poetry. Richard Ford and Carolyn Forché were also at MSU while I was there.


Tell me about your travels and work, during and after graduating from MSU.

I took my first trip in 1964, hitchhiking to Naples, Florida. I slept on the beach for two weeks. When I was in college, I’d hitchhike two to three times per year to New York City and hang out until my money was gone. In the sixties and early seventies, I hitchhiked and drove to the west coast. I worked in Montana at my friend Craig Sterry’s ranch [see photos, above with Sterry, and below], and at his neighbor’s ranch. I spent time in Seattle, lived in San Francisco, Mendocino, and Brookings, Oregon. I also spent some time in Georgia at Ossabaw Island near Savannah, at an artist’s colony. And I went to the MacDowell Colony for three months in Petersborough, New Hampshire. And for half a year, I worked for a traveling tent circus in Canada, called the Royal Brothers Circus. I did all the promotions, advertising. I was the advance man. I went to the towns in Ontario, Quebec, The Maritimes, and Newfoundland, where the circus was going to be, and put up posters. Then I wound up as an English instructor at Grand Rapids Community College, called Grand Rapids Junior College, back then. I taught for three and a half years. I got sick of teaching English composition, wasn’t married, no responsibilities, so I quit and drove to San Francisco for the umpteenth time. I had friends there. Then I came back, lived in East Lansing, and met my wife, Deb. I was in my early thirties by that time.

Did any other writers influence you?

William Carlos Williams, and Ezra Pound. And later, Frank O'Hara, Lorine Niedecker, John Ashbery. I cut my teeth on them. I found people I was comfortable reading. I liked the way they did things.

How would you describe your poetry?

[VanderMolen thinks a moment.] I don’t know. Mini-narratives, I suppose. I basically write about relationships between people.


In addition to your work being published in the London Review of Books and Poetry, among other books and periodicals, you also wrote a memoir called "My Football Career," for the book Thin Ice [Eerdmans Publishing, 2007]. How did that come about?

Reinder VanTil [editor at Eerdmans Publishing] came up with the idea, and Gordon Olson found the historical information. I met Gordon Olson [former Grand Rapids City Historian] when I was on the board of the Historical Commission. Then a group was formed. The group included Hank Meijer, Larry TenHarmsel, John Otterbacher, and me. They asked me to contribute.

What living writers do you admire?

I like so many people, it’s hard to narrow it down. August Kleinzahler, Dan Gerber, Tom Lynch, Jim Harrison [see links on Jan 2 and 4 posts], to name just a few.


Who are the writers and artists you hang out with?

[VanderMolen laughs.] Well, again, Dan Gerber, Augie Kleinzahler, Craig Sterry, Jim Harrison, Tom Lynch, artist Jack Smith [see Jack's portrait of Bob, below], and Rendezvous Gallery owner Duane Mead, when they’re in town. Then there are so many from here in West Michigan—Gordon Olson, John Otterbacher, Larry TenHarmsel, Reinder VanTil, Miriam Pederson, Patricia Clark, Ron Torreson, Vicki McMillan, Diane Herbruck, Diane Wakoski, Judy Minty, Greg Rappleye, Jack Ridl…[see photo, above, L to R: John Visser, Bob VanderMolen, Gordon Olson, John Otterbacher, Larry TenHarmsel, Reinder VanTil]. There's a lot of talent in this area.


WATER is available on Amazon.com. Tomorrow, Part II of the poet Robert VanderMolen Interview!