behind the poem: “meet me in arizona”
“meet me in arizona” published in backlash journal 5
last fall, I spent about a week dispersed camping with my dog, lyla, in pumphouse wash, waking up early for hikes in sedona, and relaxing beneath the pines, writing, and exploring the areas around the campsite in the afternoons. it was my first solo camping trip, and I was entirely awestruck by the beauty of arizona. since then, I have driven through the state several times in treks across the country to visit friends and family, and each time, I haven’t been able to resist stopping to explore along the way. from the grand canyon to the painted desert, the variety of landscapes and ecosystems in a relatively short distance is pretty mind-blowing, and this section of I-40 has become one of my favorite drives. I may be an ocean girl at heart, but since moving to the west coast, I’ve been drawn to spend more time adventuring into the desert and mountains.
if you know me, and/or have read my writing, you’re already aware that my creative work is hugely influenced by my connection to, and explorations of, nature. something I’ve discovered over the last year or so, is that my best work, my favorite pieces, are those than take my life experiences and filter them through these natural images. my favorite pieces of pottery are those inspired by landscapes that I have strong memories attached to, and this translates strongly to my poetry as well. I think this is especially evident in this piece, “meet me in arizona”, which is written not only as an ode to the beauty of the state, but also as a kind of love letter.
this carries throughout several other poems, some with more obvious intimacy than others, but the primary vein is still there — the allusions to the intoxicating feelings of both being in the wild and being in love. I believe these emotions play strongly off each other, and can be seen pretty clearly not only in “meet me in arizona”, but in looking over the work I produced last month, for the tupelo press 30/30 project.
I think as artists, we are constantly evolving, though our main muses and sources of inspiration remain the same, the way in which that translates to our work may change. it took me several years to identify my niche in ceramics, and in a lot of ways, I’m still exploring what my voice as a poet is. but, one thing I know will remain constant is the self-reflective aspect of my work. where pottery has served as an expressive outlet, writing has been the outlet through which I process my life experience, and I don’t ever expect that to change. but my goal in this reflective work isn’t just to process my own experiences, but to write something relatable that speaks to others’ experiences as well, to write a speaker that the reader can see themselves in.
anyway, got off on a bit of a tangent there, but there’s your look into my process and inspiration behind this piece. and, as a fun bonus, I’ve put together a playlist inspired by this piece on spotify with the same title (“meet me in arizona”). check it out & lemme know what you think!
in the meantime, I’ll be resting my creative muscles for a bit after a long month of poeming, & taking a few days to catch up on some reading (I’m currently deeply invested in the daevebad trilogy, by s. a. chakraborty).
catch ya later,
nicole
