Sunday, November 10, 2013

Clifton Redmond Interview


First off, tell us a about you...
Well I am 31 years old. I am very happily married to Joanna, my wife of four years and we have one perfect little boy, Diarmuid. They are my rock and my whole world, I owe everything I am to both of them. I am from a small village on the Carlow Wicklow border called Hacketstown. I now live in Graiguecullen in Carlow town.

Tell us about your books/What genre do you consider your books?I write only poems, I have one self-published body of work called “Race The Wind”. I am working on my second collection but I will probably wait until I have the backing of a traditional publisher. By the time that happens my second book will probably be bigger than an encyclopaedia. I have been published in various collections by the group members that I work closely with in the “A.P.L.S.” or “A Poets Learning Society”.

When did you start writing? In school I was very lazy and took no interest in anything except history. I left school at the age of sixteen and started working in abattoir and I still work there 15 years later. I had two interests playing soccer and messing around on the guitar. I never ever thought about writing or poetry in my life until the day my younger brother died, I wrote a small poem which my wife read at his funeral. But it was four years later that I stumbled upon a poetry posting and feedback site which I found very interesting and after trying my hand at it, I received some decent feedback. This encouraged me to pursue more encouragement and this grew into something much bigger for me. I met a small group of like-minded poets and as we all grew closer started to interact on Facebook through groups and sharing and critiquing every day. My passion has grown into an obsession and now I’m constantly trying to grow and better myself in the craft…

Why do you write? I have no idea why I write, I guess I love that feeling of reading a great poem and it feels all the better when it’s my own. I hope to captivate the reader in the same way I am when I read poems.

What would be your choice for a superpower?“X-ray vision” actually 20/20 vision would be nice, I’m so blind it’s not even funny. But I think the the ultimate power would be “flight” that would be really cool.

Who is your favorite author? Very tough question, Seamus Heaney, Billy Collins, Anne Sexton lately, oh and Dylan Thomas stirs me a lot too.

I tend to read multiple books at once. Right now I’m reading Heaney’s “Human Chain”, The collected poems of Derrick Walcott and also trying to read up on the puzzle that is Samuel Beckett.

Do you have a writing process? 
I tend to write up a draft, leave it for a day or two then go back and rip it to bits. It can take a few days sometimes, and then sometimes it just flows out right in one sitting. I like to write at night or in the early hours of the morning mostly. I find ideas come easier those times.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author? Write for you, become obsessed and enjoy it. If you feel like you have a story to tell then don’t let anything hold you back from your dream, that’s the advice I’m giving myself anyway.

What inspired you to pursue writing?That feeling of reading great poems by great poets. The idea of connecting with everyone that reads your work. I thin k that is the goal for a poet to be understood and honored for it.

What are your favorite TV shows/Movies to watch in between writing?I’m not a big TV or movies fan, but I like shows that are funny, basically I will laugh at anything. I can make the worst comedian in the world sound like he must be a genius. As for movies I do like action I guess, like the Rambo movies.

What are your current projects?My second collection and I have about three hundred poems to consider for it so far. Some of them confessional, which is a style I have been working on with my long time mentor Michael Dobson, a retired editor from California.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to readers?I just want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me to this point and all who have bought my first book. Thank you to my wife and the poets that I work with day in day out. I hope I can be as much an inspiration to you as you have been to me.

Quick Fire: Cats or dogs? dogs
Coffee or tea? coffee
Favorite food? Sheepards pie
Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream? vanilla
What are 3 things you never leave home without?
keys , phone and notebook.
Laptop or desktop? laptop
Who are 3 famous people you would to hang out with? If were talking past and dead then, Dylan Thomas, as he loved a drink, Bill Shankly (ex- Liverpool manager as soccer is another huge love of mine and “Shanks” because he really knew his stuff and had some very different ideas, lastly Seamus Heaney who just recently died. I imagined I would meet him some day and it’s a big regret I never will. Still alive, Gerry Adams (Sin Fein president), Jamie Carragher, (ex- Liverpool player) and the very interesting American poet Billy Collins, I would love to delve into his mid and pick his brain.
TV or Movies? movies

You can contact Clifton here:
 and my website is here: http://cliftonredmondpoetry.webs.com/





Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

All Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney


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4 comments:

  1. Clifton Redmond is a very generous writer who explores the outer limits to deliver a common understanding. He is an honest man with a style all his own. A very readable, deep and interesting author, and a total gentleman. His work is incredible, and I would encourage the curious to delve into his mind, you will be glad you entered his world.

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  2. Being very familiar with the writings of Clifton,I honestly feel he is on the threshold of being in company with some of the finest poets of our day,and I wish him all the success in the world.

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  3. I have been following Clifton's work for the past year and he has amazed and mesmerized me over and over with his words. He has the ability to move you to tears or bring a smile to your face in his poetry. Above his work is authentic and in his own style that is a delight to the readers of both modern poets and the classics. Beyond all this he is a great guy to know.

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  4. Thanks to all who stopped by to comment on Clifton's interview! Do stop by again in the future, too.

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