Hello, I am Celeste. Welcome all of you who are new here, including Edie, Krishna, Peejeh and Jeff! Take a look at my writing prompts or the newsletter directory to find what you need now.

Happy 2022! I am so excited to do another interview with a published poet, Lilith Noah. She is gathering people falling in love with words with the recent-populated collage poem format in the community. But her coming-of-age poems are rich with imagery and emotions.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your writing journey started?

My name is Lilith Noah, I am 22 and a poet from Austria. I have always loved writing and discovered my love for poetry at the age of 16. That is also when I first started publishing my writing on tumblr. After a few years, I started my Instagram account and I have been writing almost every day ever since.

What is your writing process like?

Honestly I don't know if you can call it a "process". For me, it is mostly just random images in my head and I write it down in my notes app. There are a bunch of half-written poems and half-thoughts in there and I try to connect them into a coherent poem.

How did you decide to make collage with receipts?

I think the first receipt poem I did was in 2017, I found this theatre ticket of "hamlet" and had a phrase from a love poem in my head. So I decided to write it on the ticket because it somehow fit. Later on Instagram, I tried different styles and techniques but I always feel myself gravitate back towards receipt poetry.

Where do you find the material to make the collage?

Ever since I started with receipt poems I collected all the receipts and packaging materials at home. There is an entire drawer of scraps. Every time I write something new, I pick a receipt that fits the aesthetic and the poem. Then I collect all the receipts I have written on so far in a big shoe box.

Where do you get inspiration for your writing?

Every poem I have ever written has some of my experiences in it. They are not always 100% accurate but I can only write about things or feelings I have experienced.

But inspiration comes in many forms, sometimes it is a phrase I have read, sometimes it is something a friend has said and sometimes it is just looking out of the window and seeing the trees and streets full of people.

Which writers or artists have the biggest influence on your work?

So I used to write short stories only. It was Savannah Brown's spoken word poetry on YouTube that inspired me to start writing poetry. I can't pinpoint other artists directly. There are just so many great and talented artists.

What are the main themes of your debut poetry book receipts?

My poetry book has 4 chapters that deal with the overarching emotional themes of growing up: the sadness of growing up, the joy of being alive, the heartbreak along the way and the love I found at the end. The poems are generally about the emotional confusion that comes with the teenage years.

Which aspects do you enjoy the most and the least as you put your book together?

I really enjoyed seeing the progress from a single messy word document to my proof copy in my hands. That was such an amazing feeling.

But I really didn't like proofreading, I have the attention span of a toddler, so that was a challenge. Thankfully, I had many great friends who helped with that aspect.

What I also really struggle with now is promoting my book because I have always had self-doubt. Every time I post something about my book receipts, there is this tiny voice in my head that tells me that people do not care and are simply annoyed by me promoting my book. But I am trying my best to silence that voice.

Can you choose a poem among your favourites that our readers may like? It doesn’t have to be from your debut book.

One of my favourites is this one:

I tend to overflow with love, 
shove it down your throat,
wrap everything up tight and close
so you don't leave.
so you need me to stay.
I tend to pour love into things
even if they don't want it and maybe
that is why all my cacti are dying,
turning brown and foul
and to earth eventually.
I am spilling love like it is a contagious disease
contaminating the air around me,
a sickeningly sweet smell fills the air.
I radiate toxicity and maybe
that is why everything I love is falling apart eventually.

— Lilith Noah

Where can people find you online and get your book?

You can always message me on Instagram but my inbox is messy. So if you have any urgent requests, feel free to email me. You can preorder the book here or on my etsy for those who don't have PayPal.

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See you in 2 weeks,

Celeste

Interview with an artist series

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Charles Edward York

Colin Tan