天美传媒

Angela Bauer,

Words are important.

Poet Kara Dorris knows this and champions their cause any chance she鈥檚 given 鈥� particularly in poetry.

She has published four chapbooks and has had her poems published in various literary journals and anthologies. As an 天美传媒 visiting assistant professor of English, Dorris teaches poetry to 天美传媒students.

鈥淲hat I鈥檓 trying to teach my students is to incorporate poetry in (everyday) life,鈥� Dorris said. 鈥淧oetry is an experience.鈥�

Now she鈥檚 also gearing up for her first full-length book of poems, 鈥淗ave Ruin, Will Travel,鈥� to be published.

The book, which Dorris describes as 鈥減art travelogue,鈥� chronicles two journeys 鈥� one a trip across Europe and Asia and one an internal journey 鈥� and how they intertwine.

鈥淲hen we travel, we become both more and less ourselves,鈥� Dorris said, noting that travel forces growth 鈥� the more of that statement 鈥� by forcing people out of the routines that usually define who they are 鈥� the less.

The poems in Dorris鈥� book argue both 鈥渇or and against these states of being that we take for granted and don鈥檛 think about every day,鈥� she said.

While Dorris also writes essays, fiction and non-fiction, poetry is her favorite medium, she said.

鈥淧oetry allows me to get my thoughts on the page, the level of clarity I want,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not always straightforward. You can talk about love, depression (and numerous other topics), disguise them (in a poem) and reach multiple audiences.鈥�

Poetry also allows for multiple viewpoints, she said.

鈥淭he dual meaning that comes with poetry, it never means just one thing,鈥� Dorris said. 鈥淭here are multiple meanings. I like looking at things from both sides. It鈥檚 more about letting the reader understand something themselves and come to their own conclusions.鈥�

While Dorris isn鈥檛 alone in championing poetry, poetry frequently struggles to find an audience in a world overflowing with messages in so many forms, she said. This is largely because poetry has a difficult reputation.

鈥淭oday we are 鈥榞iven鈥� so much information,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have to filter it anymore. Poetry is all about filtering.鈥�

Writing it also isn鈥檛 as easy as some would believe.

鈥淲e鈥檙e so focused on the end result, the to-do list,鈥� Dorris said. 鈥淭hings we have to check off. Poetry is so much about the process. You write a poem and, maybe, 20 drafts later, it鈥檚 maybe done.鈥�

But the work that goes into poetry is worth it, Dorris said.

Poetry 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 give you any answers but forces you to come up with your own answers 鈥� and be OK with maybe not knowing everything,鈥� she said.

Kara Dorris鈥� 鈥淗ave Ruin, Will Travel鈥� is . The book, which costs $19.99, will ship Aug. 9.