It’s entirely possible that you’ve never seen a poetry collection that looks like Daniel Scott Tysdal’s third book of poetry, Fauxccasional Poems (Goose Lane Editions). Its tabloid-inspired cover conceals Tysdal’s thoroughly imaginative historical counterfactuals – from Obama’s failed poetry career to Karl Marx’s double-life as a devout capitalist – as well as his poignant observations that instantaneously evoke: “The art they shared was low.” Tysdal’s not married to any style or form in Fauxccasional Poems, offering a “stunning range” (Winnipeg Free Press) of poetic talent.
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It’s entirely possible that you’ve never seen a poetry collection that looks like Daniel Scott Tysdal’s third book of poetry, Fauxccasional Poems (Goose Lane Editions). Its tabloid-inspired cover conceals Tysdal’s thoroughly imaginative historical counterfactuals – from Obama’s failed poetry career to Karl Marx’s double-life as a devout capitalist – as well as his poignant observations that instantaneously evoke: “The art they shared was low.” Tysdal’s not married to any style or form in Fauxccasional Poems, offering a “stunning range” (Winnipeg Free Press) of poetic talent.Read “Conch”, an excerpt from Fauxccasional Poems, below, and then check out our short interview with Daniel Scott Tysdal on Mad Magazine as poetic inspiration, writing poetry in IKEAs, and hopes for the next generation of poets.ALU: Which particular poets or poetry collections have most inspired your writing (in general or for this particular collection)Daniel Scott Tysdal: Growing up, two of my biggest influences were Robert Kroetsch and Anne Sexton. I’m a prairie boy, and what struck me about Kroetsch’s work was how he poetically animated such a diverse range of my home’s land, life, and language through an inspiring variety of form and play with the page. With Sexton, I was inspired to discover a poet who could write about deeply painful and personal experiences with such artfulness and honesty.More recently, I have been most inspired by the student poets with whom I have the opportunity to work at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Their combination of energy, enthusiasm, and imagination reminds me that the poet’s true home is the process of creation, the enlivening work of exploration and discovery.ALU: Are you inspired by a particular place, thing, or someone other than another poet?DST: My biggest non-poetry influence growing up was MAD Magazine, and the magazine’s variety of voices, darkly comic vision, and visual play still informs much of my work. One of the poems I am most proud of is my Al Jaffee MAD Fold-In inspired piece.
Nowadays, the biggest non-poetry influence on my work is film. Chris Maker’s San Soleil is my go to film for inspiration (guaranteed to spark a poem every time), but I’m a fan of film from all
genres, eras, and regions. I’m currently at work on some poem-video hybrid projects, which I’m sharing online. You can check out a sample at bit.ly/fauxpoemisis.
ALU: Do you have any particular writing rituals? DST: I am a (frustratingly chipper) morning person, so my main writing ritual is to hit the ground running and get writing first thing. More generally, I’m a member of the Travis Bickle “anytime, anywhere” school. This is partly out of habit and partly out of necessity (I’m in transit three hours a day for work). I’ve written poems pushing a cart around IKEA, riding a lawnmower at the Moose Jaw Union hospital, and on my arm while standing on a packed subway car. * * *Follow along all April long with our Woven Odes series, in celebration of National Poetry Month. If you want to go meta and immerse yourself in Daniel Scott Tysdal’s immersions of other people, check out our interactive poetry web to see which poets you might like to read next after Fauxccasional Poems.
