Eternity
is in love
with the
productions
of Time.

— William Blake

Origins

According to Rilke, a poem is not born from a single thought perception, but from a life lived with attention and intensity. And yet common sense tells us that poems do have origins. When I asked the poets collected here to comment on their composition process, some protested that they would have nothing to say about “the origins” of their work. And yet how fascinating, how illuminating their comments have proven to be. The poems and poets of “Origins” speak eloquently both for themselves and for the art. I think these writers for heir willingness to tell us about their lives, their working habits, their poetry.

— Richard Jones