"I Find it a Kind of Magic" David Stones on the Gift that is Inspiration & Why Amanda Gorman and Leonard Cohen Give Him Hope

David Stones' sfumato: New and Selected Poems (Blue Moon Publishers) collects the most powerful poems from Stones' previous collections and adds engaging new pieces to create a reading experience that will captivate poetry lovers. 

Striking, stark images allow Stones to bring his signature, keen insight to bear, turning something as simple as a cigarette smouldering on a dusty motel nightstand into a darkly witty and wise examination of human nature and connection. 

The title will be a familiar term for art lovers, referring to a technique of blending tones and colour gradually into one another; an apt metaphor for the hazy boundaries between head and heart. 

We're excited to welcome David to Open Book today to discuss both sfumato and his journey as a poet through our Poets in Profile series. 

In our conversation, David tells us about the iconic Toronto poet whose work inspired him from childhood onwards, explains how his mind works "like a water spider", and tells us something that makes us want a peek at his Notes app. 

Open Book:

What is the first poem you remember being affected by?

David Stones:

For sure the first poem that penetrated and startled me was “Search” by Raymond Souster. I was about 10 at the time. I got a copy of that poem and carried it with me for years. Souster, of course, was known as a “poet of the people” and I was so struck by the simplicity and stark power of Souster’s language, the indelible image of that young woman sitting in the diner in her threadbare coat... so very Souster. My new poetry collection, sfumato, carries a loving tribute to this poem: “ON TURNING INTO RAYMOND SOUSTER.”

OB:

What one poem—from any time period—do you wish you had been the one to write?

DS:

That’s a bit of a tough one, as there are so many. I know Billy Collins makes reference to the fact that many times in a poet’s life he/she will frequently wish they’d written this or that poem. For me, I think that one poem might well be “What I’m Doing Here” by Leonard Cohen, first published in his 1964 collection, Flowers For Hitler. It’s a beautiful piece, tightly woven, tough, exact words. I use it as a bit of a model, a litmus test for my own writing.

OB:

Do you write poems individually and begin assembling collections from stand-alone pieces, or do you write with a view to putting together a collection from the beginning?

DS:

Rightly or wrongly, my mind works rather like a water spider. I write about what occurs to me on any particular day, based on observation, a title that sticks, a line that just won’t go away. So, no, I don’t incrementally build and structure a cohesive collection built around a singular theme or concept. Certainly one will see thematic threads connecting much of my work, but I haven’t yet and likely never will formally set out to develop a structured set of poems that adhere tightly to a particular subject or viewpoint. 

OB:

What do you do with a poem that just isn't working?

DS:

I rarely abandon a poem. If a poem is playing tough, I’m inclined to set it aside for a while and start another one. At the most I might be working on three or four at a time, notwithstanding the 500 or so one-liners in my Notes app on my mobile. I find it a kind of magic, an almost unearthly beneficence that somehow, at some point, the words will come to me and I will be gifted the privilege of finishing that stalled poem. Mind you, sometimes poems quit on you because they’re actually complete; they’re trying to tell you something. I once wrote an eight line opening stanza of a poem and was then stalled for almost two years. I wrote dozens of subsequent stanzas to complete the piece but none of them worked. Then one day I saw for the first time the wonder of those eight lines. They said everything I needed to say about incidental beauty. I couldn’t complete the poem because it was finished. I entered those eight lines in a short poem contest and won. You’ll read them, “INCIDENTAL KINDNESS,” in sfumato.

OB:

How would you describe the poetry community in Canada? What strengths and weaknesses do you observe within the community?

DS:

Well, things are pretty hot right now. Poetry’s on a high... lots of readings, publications and a burgeoning number of contests and awards. There’s a vibrancy that’s very encouraging. COVID, of course, has been a bit of a dampener, crushing live events, but on the other hand allowing poets to unlock the potential of social media and streaming platforms. So overall I think it’s quite an uplifting scene out there. And the more it opens up the better. The more relevant and accessible poetry becomes, the more people will be drawn to it as an art form. I’m always struck by the simple fact that pretty well 99% of the people I meet, quite frankly, loathe poetry. It brings back bitter grade school memories of having to memorize Emily Dickinson or “The Highwayman.” They view poetry as an obscure and defeating art form, something they can’t penetrate or embrace. That’s what makes the Leonard Cohens, Rupi Kaurs, and Amanda Gormans of this world so important. In my one man show, “Infinite Sequels,” based on my first book of poetry of the same name, I try to do the same thing: to render and perform my poetry in a way that draws people in and engages them with my words in a way that otherwise would not be possible. The music helps, as does the acting and animation, but the focus is on the words. My most treasured compliments about that show come from those who tell me how much they dislike poetry, but how much they loved my show. And that speaks to a major challenge for Canadian poets and poets everywhere. It’s critical that we continue to work to expand the reach and value of our art form beyond  the tight and too often insular community of poets, poetry scholars, editors and publishers.

OB:

What is the best thing about being a poet... and what is the worst?

DS:

The best thing, as I’m sure it is for any artist, is the privilege of creating something novel and beautiful that you know is likely to be admired, valued and inspiring for other people. I love doing that. My best days are when I’ve put something down that I know works. It’s a wonderful feeling... And the worst days, of course, are the days and sometimes weeks when I’m not able to put a lot down on paper. Writing and publishing poetry is a bit of a treadmill. It’s quite competitive and there’s always a sense of “what’s next” and “what do I have for this contest or that call for submissions.” There’s a pressure to produce and the worst days are when that’s just not happening.

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David Stones is a award-winning poet, performer, ex-CEO and business leader, guitar enthusiast, and self-confessed bon vivant. With poems hailed for their resolute imagery, beauty of language, and ready accessibility, David is a celebrated performer of his work. He transformed his debut collection of poetry, Infinite Sequels (Friesen Press, 2013), into a one-man show of the same name ("a brilliant and beautiful piece of theatre" - London Free Press, 2018). The winner of multiple poetry contests and judge's choice awards, David's poetry spews forth from presses both in Canada and internationally, including most recently Synaeresis (Harmonia Press), Big Pond Rumours, (Beret Day Books, Authors' Press (India), Hidden Book Press, Skywing Press), and Her Royal Majesty (Paris, France). David lives peripatetically between Toronto and Stratford, Ontario.