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Q: You seem so very involved, heart and soul, in so many poetry projects. How did you start writing and pouring yourself into poetic endeavors?
Larry: Well I woke up one morning and realized I was a
poet and this is what a poet does. I am not kidding. It is a good thing.
When I left college oh so many years ago, I left to be a poet. Unfortunately,
there were not a lot of poet jobs available, I did not find anything in
the classified despite looking every day. On the plus side, I made my
first chapbooks, typing into my Royal Futura portable typewriter with
carbons… and then binding them with thread. This was an amazing accomplishment.
They did not earn me much money, but I made many friends. I surely wish
I had one of those now. I felt like I was living my life as a poet.
But then when I had a family, well those poet wages were not feeding the
kids and I became a writer that wrote poetry sometimes. I cannot say it
made me happy, but I can say that I took care of what I thought needed
taking care of, raising my children.
Finally, when all of that was accomplished, it was like revelation time
and I knew I had to go back to my avocation. Being a poet who writes poetry
is way different than being a writer who does so. At least that is the
case for me.
Aside from my own work, community is very important to me. And I believe
and you must also otherwise you would not be doing what you are doing,
that it is up to each of us to create beyond our window. By this I mean,
I look at the entire poetry community as a team almost as if this were
basketball we were playing. Now surely I can get out on the court and
score but big time scorers don’t win championships, teams do. So
when I get out on the poetry court I want to help my teammates to improve
their game as much as I want to improve my own. I believe if I help others
be better that my game will be better. So that is why you see me involved
in poets4peace,
or poho (poetry host network) or running readings etc. I do believe it
improves my art. Of course there has to be proper balance. It cannot get
in the way of my art either, so I have to monitor very carefully.
Q: What is Poets4Peace? Why did you start it? What projects are currently happening there?
Larry: I started p4p
in 1997 as an attempt and I think a valid one to balance out the b.s both
online and in the world. It is not a magazine or a poetry site like others.
I see it as a memorial to peace there are so many for war. I wanted to
build such a thing and even envisioned a true memorial to peace built
out in the real world. Right now the only way to manifest that within
my power is the site and the series of readings (over 50) that we have
coordinated. Peace is not an act of war in reverse. Peace is both an individual
and community effort. In my reality peace has nothing to do with war,
it is a state of being. Individuals who are at peace lead to groups that
are at peace, etc.
This does not mean that one does not fight for what is right. Freedom
is very important. One cannot stand idly by during times of oppression.
One must choose their weapons carefully for some it is a rifle for some
a pen or word processor. But by all means the peace I speak of is in truth
freedom, total freedom.
Q: What is Dialogue Among Civilizations Through Poetry? How can people get involved?
Larry: This is a very exciting and dynamic program that I am thrilled to be part of. My partner in this Ram Devenini in New York worked with UNESCO to create the first Dialogue Readings which aligned with a United Nations mandate, Dialogue among Civilizations through Poetry. It is very unifying and puts us in the unique position to change people’s perceptions about poetry around the world and make it a vital part of their lives. There is much more info on the web site (www.dialoguepoetry.org) than I can write here and participation is quite simple just go to the site and let us know what you want to do. In brief, last march we were blessed to experience the literal blossoming of poetry across the globe with readings from the Antarctic to Australia, from Moscow to Tokyo, from Belgrade to Boston. It was an unprecedented event with over 200 readings in some 150 cities worldwide. As the readings coordinator, it was one of the most thrilling events I have ever been involved with. And now we are about to do it again and if possible even better with more promotion, more materials and believe it or not more readings.
Q: Your own website lgjaffe.com is very interesting. How did you first decide to get online with your works?
Larry: I have been very active online for quite sometime.
I found that as a poet I could reach people directly 
without
the middleman so to speak and this was fascinating to me and frankly deeply
satisfying. I get a plethora of email about my work from real folks who
find it to their liking. In many ways being online rejuvenated my goal
to be a poet and it is being realized.
My work has been translated into several languages, read out in several
countries that I would never have had the opportunity to travel to previously.
Of course, now I do tour quite a bit, but initially I was all cyber poet.
Right now my poetry is being translated into Russian and recently was
in Italian. I was just asked for permission for it to be read in India
at a large poetry conclave. I am honored by this. It reminds me to be
so thankful for this gift of words that I have.
So yes I love the Internet. I would not have the poetic joy and success
I have today without it, including meeting you Kara.
Q: Your silent poem Poetry of Light is really awesome. What's the story behind the poem? What kind of technology did you use to create that? Why did you decide to create it in this way?
Larry: Thank you Kara, I have been on a quest as you have seen in my latest attempt with Amateur Poetry Models and DymoPo. The Poetry of Light has its origins in my roots of guerilla poetry. This goes way back where I would print poetry on cheap fliers and put them under the windshield wipers of automobiles. I wanted the poetry to look like commerce so that people would unknowingly read it thinking it an ad when it was poetry. I also stenciled poems on the streets (short short poems). PofL derives from that stencil feeling. I want to be able to show my poetry in art galleries, not simply to perform it but it have the physical qualities of art and not in a book. Again I want to bring my poetry to life make it into living words.
I like to use beaurocratic tools for art. Similar to what I started with the fliers. Using common off the shelf things to create art. Even typically officious things like the Dymolabeler or PowerPoint which is what I used to create the Poetry of Light series. It is designed to be projected on gallery walls.
Q: On your own site (lgjaffe.com) you have a section called Tabula Rasa. Why do you call it that? How often do you add works to that?
Larry: Well TR is blank slate. It is what confronts every poet. I am using that section to have only my latest poetry and showcase it. Unfortunately, I do not update it often enough but am making a determined effort to do so. A lot of folks stop by my site I always want to continually surprise them with various works.
Q: Your works are great inspirations to me personally for seeing a poet who is truly workin' it in so many different ways. How did you learn the business of your art?
Larry: This is indeed a good question. Boy you sure are
making me think. Lol. Well I have had to learn things the hard way I guess.
As I told you I dropped out of 
school
to be a poet and found myself needing to write for a living. I wrote for
alternative media for a couple years learning the ins and outs of putting
together a publication. These were always communal efforts, you learned
paste up and layout and circulation and advertising because you had to.
No one else was going to do it. You learned to work as a team, sometimes
concentrating on what you did best, but when it came to getting the rag
out you just did what you had to do. So that gave me a very strong foundation
for what it takes to bring something to market. Over the years I expanded
those skills, unfortunately not marketing my art but more commercial things.
So now when I look at my work and this is not an easy transition, I try
to treat myself as a client, wearing a different hat, looking out as to
how best to market Larry Jaffe and I tell you he is not very easy to work
with, very picky you know.
But seriously, I really don’t treat my poetry as a business, my art
is sacrosanct, it is my existence. But as you put it, I treat the business
of my poetry as a business. A strong web presence, good looking books,
etc. As artists it is very important that we learn how to market ourselves.
Very important!
Q: Is there one thing in particular that has surprised you about the projects and writing that you are doing? Or one thing in particular that you are especially proud of? Why did it surprise you or make you proud?
Larry: This is a very simple answer. I am most proud of
touching people whether it be with my poetry or with a project like the
Dialogue
Among Civilizations Through Poetry program.
I will excerpt an email for you from a friend of mine in Belgrade: Happy
Birthday! and yes, you’re right it is a beautiful present. Reading
in Beograd just began and I got back from there. It is held as you know
in Cultural Centre and it is sunny day today, lots of people on the streets
and it began on the street in front of the Centre. Dubravka read your
message and then it began. Man it really heals. I’m happy it all
worked well and that it happened. Lots of young poets, which is very important
for the social environment in my country, and they are good. So once again
Happy Birthday and I’m glad you did all this. Hope to meet you in
person soon. Love, igor
What more can I say after that… this is what poetry is all about.
I never in my wildest dreams would think that I could touch people so.
To me this is such a gift and I am very thankful for it.
Q: Are there books and recordings of your works available? How can our readers get a hold of copies of these?
Ron: Yes there are. I have 4 books currently available and one CD. Folks can write to me directly right now larry@lgjaffe.com. Am still working on some distribution aspects and onsite ordering.
Q: As a poet, where do you see your art leading you in the next year, 5 years, 10 years? Where do you see the business of your art leading you?
Larry: As an artist as a poet, I want to hone my craft
to the best of my abilities. 
I
am always always reading other poets. Right now I am in this funky Frank
O’hara mode. I learn by reading and listening. So foremost is improving
my craft.
I want to take poetry and words to new places new levels of artistry.
On my web site I have my new mediums of poetry of light and dymopo. I
would like a gallery showing of my work with models parading wearing my
words.
And just to make you one of the first to know. I just got the opportunity
to host a poetry reading at one of the hottest clubs on the Sunset Strip,
the Rainbow Room. (See Poetix)
I always see myself doing a combination of creating my art and creating
places for art to be served. It is important to me to retain that balance.
Editor's Note: Please page thru this issue of the KotaPress Poetry
Journal to see Larry's poems featured!
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