David Gilmer
David Gilmer is blessed to be the father of two perfect kids. A proud graduate of the OPRF Spoken Word Program and Knox Colleges Creative Writing program, David thinks every day of the lessons learned from reading and writing poetry and how it impacts his views on everything from parenting to golf.
The impact of poetry and the spoken word club
It is hard to briefly state the impact that Spoken Word Club and Peter Kahn had on me. At a time in my life that so often felt like a free fall, spoken word and room 370 provided a soft landing spot. It was in Spoken Word club that I found my people, and they helped me find my voice. Since leaving OPRF poetry has remained a consistent part of my life, even if it is not constant. But the greatest impact Spoken Word Club has had on me is a deep sense of empathy. Poetry allowed me to see into so many different worlds, and to hear so many different perspectives, it is impossible in my opinion to read poetry and not be forever changed. Even now, 15 years removed from spoken word club, I still feel the reverberating effects of my peers' work. And when occasionally we cross paths, I instantly feel reconnected with them.
Writing Prompts
Write about an event that only took a few seconds to occur. Describe the event with as much specific detail as possible
Write about a time you received life-changing new (for better or for worse)
Write about a time you had to take on a new responsibility
My Writing Process - There was a time in my life when I liked to write everyday, now that feels extremely distant. Instead now I feel called to write often after reading inspirational works. Sometimes when I really feel the desire to write a poem I will spend time pursuing old books of mine or searching the internet for a poem, and then after try to emulate the style I read. For me writing primarily is cathartic now, a place to work out ideas that aren’t quite stuck in the soul but haven’t really made it up to the mind yet. My favorite part of writing however has always been the editing. I love tinkering with enjambment, punctuation, and different syntax to explore ways an idea can continue to be communicated through different modes.
Top favorite poets or lyricists
The Colonel Carolyn Forche - the poem's language reads as simple reporting and then as you pull apart the language you realize the layers of language. Finally, the last image, and the brutal payoff - I am not sure a poem has made me want to write more.
Alabanza Martin Espada - every year in my classroom I teach this poem around 9/11, and every year the last stanza leaves me choked up. Espada so beautifully expresses all of the frustrations, fear, anxiety, and desperation that followed in the days, weeks, and now decades after 9/11. All of this horror, wrapped up in a beautifully crafted poem. I am absolutely floored every time I read it, and I have read it a lot.
Pursuit Keith Ratzlaff - I read this poem during my first year at Knox, and I think it is the only poem I have ever read by Ratzlaff. Everyone has to have a poem that they love just because it encompasses a moment in their life. At the time, poetry wasn’t making a lot of sense to me, and pursuit really summed that up well for me. I try to read this once a year to remember that time in my life, and to reflect on what has changed and stayed the same.