26/01/2020
Ognjenka Lakićević: If I were still keeping a diary, I would address myself
"I am an advice jukebox, both when it comes to general life advice and the literary workshop, but in the latter context, people are usually there looking for advice. Often, past participants quote me on something that I had told them, things that helped them with writing or just helped them in life, and I end up being unable to remember ever having said that, even when it sounds like something I’d say. And when I don’t have an answer, I tell them to give me time and that I’ll come back with an answer later, if I conclude that it exists. Something that I can guarantee, something that can rarely be guaranteed in this line of work, let alone in general, is that it’s impossible for there to be no progress if someone is investing time and effort into writing, going back to correcting a single poem over and over again, thinking, and carefully reading other people’s poetry. That is because a poem isn’t just there for one to pour their feelings into and abandon it, it’s not a dumpster for one’s frustrations, it’s not just a diary, but also a space for aesthetic and linguistic intervention. Also, reading is very important for a writer (I’d say it’s important for just about anyone, but the majority would disagree). At the workshop, I mostly insist on contemporary poetry because it’s important that people know what their contemporaries are doing, and that is precisely what the participants know the least about, it’s not something you learn in school. I send them lots of reading material. Those two things are what’s most important, but I have tons of advice, and most of it has to do with courage and the general outlook on life – no art reveals the personality of the author as much as poetry does. Everything you do in life is reflected in your poetry."
Interviewed by: Milena Ilić Mladenović
Translated by: Filip Čolović
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Ognjenka Lakićević, poetess and frontwoman of the band Autopark, was interviewed by Milena Ilić Mladenović. I’m sure everyone asks you whether you have a different writing style depending on whether you’re writing poetry for music or for a book. Still, in short, what differences are there...
