New SplashHall Poetry Paparazzo - SplashScribe Soft Words Interviews The Lovely Splash Poetress Brenda Cook AKA Nixon

Hiya everyone. I’m your new SplashScribe. I don’t know if I’m as good as Shoesie or Rg, but I think I’ll get better.

I started off having fun with Brenda Nixon Cook aka Nixon, our Environmental Scientist who loves cats. We’ll be careful not to tell her husband, but Tommy, her nineteen year old cat, is the true love of her life. With her droll sense of humor, her exceptionally sensitive writes that touch a cord somewhere deep within, and her warm appreciation and suggestions, Brenda brings the freshness of her garden to these busy halls.

SW: What brought you and your daisy to SplashHall?
Nix: My Daisy blew in with the wind, I however came at the urging of my friend Balladeer, who said that it was "friendly place", where you could feel at home.

SW: What keeps you Splashing around?
Nix: Because it is a friendly place, where I can feel at home, except that I don't throw my clothes over the chair, or raid the fridge, or leave books and papers in every room. I like the companionship of the other writers, and I like to see how the creative process works for other individuals. The poetry is a huge draw for me, I like to read others work, it gives me insight into the creative process, and very rarely do I read a poem, that I do not find something that resonates with me as a reader. The feedback, I mean where else am I going to get honest feedback, my home audience is pretty limited, my husband says that's "good honey, whats for supper?", my teenager rolls her eyes and says, "well if you like it, can we go to the mall?", and my best friend loves everything I write. My 6 cats they are the real critics. If I find it shredded in the cat box, I take that as the highest of compliments.

SW: Your favorite forum(s)?
Nix: I like the Axe and the Genuine Poetry and Prose forum. I like the axe because you get honest feedback, I have an awful time with revisions, because I think every ones comments are good, and some contradict each other, and then I never sure which way is better, and I then become paralyzed, and then disgusted with myself, and I end up either never getting to a final revision, or make next to no changes at all. I think I will get better as I become more confident in my own writing and start to trust my own muse.

I like the poetry and prose, because I consider it a "sharing" or "showcase" forum, where you can read what others are working on, post poems you write that might not be from your natural voice, and just visit and read others works and share in their writing and work.

I also like the wax, as just yesterday, I tried my first "zen" poetry and you can post friendly competitions, like the one Ecphrasis, which was a result of a bet between Balladeer and myself.

SW: Any favorite Splashers (besides me… lolol)?
Nix: Well you... Like I said before "Splash" was a friendly place and everyone has made me feel right at home. Poets are like poems, I find something to like about most everyone. My friend Balladeer, is my sounding board, we both came from another forum, and I often send him my stuff, before I screw up enough courage for the axe. Honestly my friend Balladeer, Mojave, Soft Words (you know her right), Kay, Sampo, SeaSpirit, Dodjie, Sabine, Witt and Dublinsteve have commented on my poems the most, so I have connected with them more often. Mojave always includes a famous poem with his critiques, and I look forward to the poem, I learn by his example. Shropshire Lad, has been helping with the "Zen" and "Concrete" poetry, which I surprisingly like.

SW: When did you get bitten by the writing bug?
Nix: Initially as soon as I could read, maybe 2nd or 3rd grade, then in Jr. High and High School, I was on the school newspaper. In Jr. High I was the editor, isn't that funny, considering how awful my punctuation skills are. In High School, I took Journalism for three years and served as the news editor, but quit my senior year, because I could not fit in all of my science classes, with my electives. I had to choose between either my 4th year of Agriculture or my 4th year of Journalism, so the cows won. " I believe in the future of farming with a faith born not of words but of deeds".

I went to college, studied Chemistry, wrote tons of poetry on the side... like a movie "Poetry on the Side". I have poems from that period, that were written on the margins, of lab papers, calculus papers, napkins, etc.. and them sometime around 1986, I just quit. I took the road most traveled. Graduated college, got married, grew up, and for the most part, wrote very little, a few short stories, some essays, a couple starts on different novels. When my friend died this summer, I wanted to find a picture that was taken of the two of us, and I dug through the boxes in the garage, and in one of the boxes there were probably 200 or more of my poems, written from 1976 to 1985 (13 to 22). I collectively call them "Poems from the Cardboard Box", I started to type them up for my daughter, most are teenage angst stuff, some in my early 20s are not too bad, some are awful, my favorite are the political ones I wrote on the Reagan years. The process of taking all of these scribbles, notes, margins, must of woken up my sleeping muse and she has been stalking me ever since. My muse is stalker, a damn bossy, know it all, kind of stalker, maybe she is a conglomerate of all of my worst traits, except she makes all of the competing noise go away, so the tiny quiet voice inside gets a chance to create, so in that I have to thank her, but most of the time she just stalks me, at work, at home, in my sleep, until I finally put that random thought to paper.

SW: Has your writing improved/changed since your myriad Ax-periences?
Nix: Practice makes perfect, yes? I think so but not from my writing, but by example, from the reading of others work, for the exploration of others creativity. The reading of other voices, the discovery of voice, I am still finding my voice, my focus, I am not there yet. There are so many others who I believe speak with a clear resonant voice, who I long to write more like. I think as we read others work, out own voice gets stronger, and it is the collection of the work from any period of time that gives the most accurate picture of that time. We all need to speak in our own distinct voice, and it is the blending of the voices or of the instruments that make the sweetest sounds. Sorry for my soapbox....my husband tells people that I am only 5'2' without my soapbox.

SW: Favorite authors/poets (outside Splash)?
Nix: Poets - Robert Frost, E.E.Cummings, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Authors - Tom Robbins, Anne Tyler, Robin Cook , Ellen Gilchrist, Barbara Kingsolver, Jimmy Buffett, and I am a closet " Historical Romance" reader, especially those with a mystic overview like the "Highlander" Series by Karen Marie Moning ( I guess I just came out of the Closet).

SW: What do you think are the strongest influences on your writing (besides the Ax)?
Nix: My writing comes from inside, it is more an internal expression and less of an observation, so that being the case, I suspect my own life experiences have had the greatest influence on my writing. I am a doubting Thomas sort of personality, and have a strong personal faith, that I myself continually question and reaffirm. I believe all living things are connected and that in each of us resides the ability for great good and great evil. I am fascinated by the human experience, and our place in the circle, and in the connections within the circle.

SW: What are your other interests, hobbies and passions?
Nix: My daughter is the bonus in life I didn't think I would get, she is the best and worst of both me and my husband, she drives me crazy, but I think she is near as perfect as anything I have ever done. I like to garden and photography. I like the satisfaction of planting something and watching it grow. I feel connected to the dirt and the environment. I feel my place in the universe is pretty insignificant and I am happy there. I am happiest when I am gardening, reading or writing, and being with those I love the most. I am a environmental scientist in my real life, and have an almost tangible connection to nature, I am most happy when the circle is complete. When I die, I am looking forward to being worm food and compost for the next living thing. Check out my pictures of my garden at http://photo.xanga.com/rachaelsmom915

SW: What are your poetic ambitions like?
Nix: For my writing to make a connection that positively impacts another. Oh and I would love that Pulitzer (hahahaha).

SW: Describe yourself in less than ten words.
Nix: curious (my family would call it nosey)
left of center
optimistically cynical (aka smart ass)
intelligent
reverent

SW: If I were a genie in a bottle, and offered you three wishes, which ones would you want? (be honest, and don't you say world peace unless you really mean it)
Nix: I would wish for world peace, except how long would it last, before human nature screwed it up, so what do I really want?
Genuine respect between individuals
respect for nature
and for myself, I would like to have enough time and money to do what I believe needs to be done.

SW: Any suggestions you might have for our sweet Rg to improve on your Splashing experience?
Nix: I enjoy this forum, thanks for having us all at your house, mine has too many cats....

SW: Anything special you'd like to say to everyone here?
Nix: Thanks for making me feel at home.

SW: Now its your turn beautiful Splashers and let Nixon know how much you enjoy her friendship and excellent poetry. Not a Splasher? Visit Nixon at the SplashHall Forums Today.