Three Women: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems, shortlisted for the 2011 Indie Lit Awards, is an emotional collection of poems. The triptych, like the title suggests, focuses on three women: Annette, a psychiatrist; Julia, her daughter; and Milena, one of her patients. Emma Eden Ramos is a writer of both poetry and prose, and this shows in her narrative style.
With Three Women, I felt like I was reading a novel in verse. Ramos tells a story about grief and family heritage, anger and suicide, and immigrant issues. I like that Ramos doesn’t use flowery or abstract language and just tells the story.
We spoke our usual mother-daughter dialect
she cursed wildly
I eyed her with disgust
this rabid creature with my DNA
held hostage my distress
and we argued
she raged
it was about five minutes before she left me
in peace (page 7)
M: Hey, I say what I think. I don’t tip-toe like Americans.
J: What does that even mean? You don’t sound foreign.
M: Well I am, I’m Croatian. I actually wasn’t born here.
J: You sound American to me.
M: Well I came here when I was one.
J: So you were raised here, which, I think, makes you one of us. (page 25)
Following the triptych are three separate poems, my favorite of which was “Letter to Suicide (an old friend)”
We met first then
and
Later when Maribeth decided to go the Woolf way
(giant pebbles and all).
She had, after all, graduated with an English degree. (page 30)
Three Women is the kind of poetry book to read when you want a break from prose but don’t want to have to think too hard to decipher imagery and symbolism and just want to enjoy an interesting story. I don’t think the “Selected Poems” were necessary to include, but they don’t detract from the triptych, which is the main focus. And just because Ramos’ work is very accessible doesn’t mean it doesn’t pack a punch.
What I enjoyed most about Three Women was the raw emotion displayed by the women. I really felt their anger and their sadness. I felt like I really got to know the characters, much more than I expected given the short length of the triptych. If Ramos can pack that much emotion and that much characterization into a poem spanning about 30 pages, I wonder what she could do with a novel?
Please give a warm welcome to Emma Eden Ramos, who was kind enough to answer some questions about her writing, Three Women in particular, and her favorite poetry collections.
Could you tell my readers a little about yourself (your interests, writing, etc.)?
I am a twenty-four-year-old writer from New York City. I am also currently a student at Brooklyn College.
I’ve been writing since I was fifteen but only began seriously working on my craft in 2009. At that time I was majoring in Psychology, which has greatly influenced my writing.
Describe your poetry in 5 words or less.
Prose-like, semi-autobiographical, moody, character-based.
The poems in Three Women are very narrative, which I enjoyed. Do you prefer writing poetry or prose?
Poets and fiction writers tend to be very different creatures, especially when it comes to time and space. Many poets have the ability to obliterate the concept of time as linear movement (although there are fiction writers–Virginia Woolf for instance–who manipulate the bounds of temporal space). Poetry can exist in a space of its own. It does not have to be cohesive or even logical.
For me, however, working with a narrative structure that fits into a specific space and time is essential. So yes, when it comes to writing, prose is my preferred medium.
Why were the final three poems chosen to follow the triptych? I thought the triptych stood well on its own.
Originally I conceived the triptych to stand on its own, and it is still the main focus of the collection. The chapbook, however, needed to be a specific length, so I chose the final three poems because they expanded on some of the themes that were forefront in the triptych.
What are some of your favorite poetry collections?
I have many favorite poetry collections. To name a few: A Wild Patience Has Taken Me This Far by Adrienne Rich, Magnetic North by Linda Gregerson, Longing Distance by Sarah Hannah, Odes to Opposites by Pablo Neruda, and there are many others. One of my favorite novels is Vladimir Nabokov’s Pale Fire, which consists of a poem of 999 lines written by the main character and a commentary on that poem by his eccentric neighbor. It’s a work of genius.
Any hints as to what you’re working on now?
I have a middle grade novella coming out from MuseItUp Publishing in September, and I am beginning to pick up bits and pieces of what will hopefully be a full-length novel. Fingers and all other flexible appendages are crossed. That may account for the difficulty I’m having typing.
Thanks, Emma! Congratulations on being shortlisted for the Indie Lit Awards. I wish you much success!
Disclosure: I received a copy of Three Women: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems from the poet as part of the voting process for the Indie Lit Awards.
© 2012 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
This was an interesting interview and I can’t wait to see what she writes next. Her short story in Resilience was fantastic! You should read it. I have a copy of Triptych up for grabs this national poetry month if anyone is interested. Thanks for doing the interview.
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I’d love to read her short story. I should borrow it from you some time.
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you should…it wouldn’t take you long to read at all.
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Okay, thanks.
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You’re right that the Triptych packs a punch; it’s even more impressive when I find out how young the author is!
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Yes, I didn’t expect that!
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that was 7 words, LOL 🙂 great interview and the poems sound very intriguing.
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Funny, I didn’t even count them!
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Nice interview!
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Thanks!
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I actually could connect with those…great poems!!
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Than you! If you’re interested, there’s a copy of the book up for grabs at Savvy Verse & Wit (http://savvyverseandwit.com/2012/04/welcome-to-the-2012-national-poetry-month-blog-tour.html).
Best,
Emma
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I think you’d really like this collection, Staci.
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Wow only 24 and so talented!
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Yes, she is. I look forward to reading more of her work.
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[…] by Jon Silkin 3. Catalina by Laurie Soriano 4. What Looks Like an Elephant by Edward Nudelman 5. Three Women: A Poetic Triptych and Selected Poems by Emma Eden Ramos 6. Sonics in Warholia by Megan Volpert 7. Beyond the Scent of Sorrow by Sweta […]
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