S2E14 - The Poetics of Parenting: Poet and Educator Ben Berman's Take on Writing While Parenting

Postpartum Production

We are capping off our season of conversations with Ben Berman, the author of three books of poems and the new collection of humorous and literary essays, Writing While Parenting. Ben ​has ​won ​the ​Peace ​Corps ​Award ​for ​the ​Best ​Book ​of ​Poetry, ​has ​twice ​been ​shortlisted ​for ​the ​Massachusetts ​Book ​Awards, ​and ​has ​received ​awards ​from ​the ​Massachusetts ​Cultural ​Council, ​New ​England ​Poetry ​Club, ​and ​Somerville ​Arts ​Council. ​He's ​been ​teaching ​for ​25 ​years ​and ​currently ​teaches ​creative ​writing ​classes ​at ​Brookline ​High ​School. ​He ​lives ​in ​the ​Boston ​area ​with ​his ​wife ​and ​two ​daughters.

Kaitlin’s conversation with Ben explores the intersection of creativity and parenting through the lens of his latest book, and how they can coexist.

Ben and Kaitlin talk about:

• Why ​Ben ​felt compelled to write ​a ​book ​in ​and ​around ​the ​subject ​matter ​of ​writing ​while ​parenting.
• The idea that disorder can be a catalyst for creativity and how being a parent as well as working with kids has shifted Ben’s perspective on creativity.
• The challenge of balancing creative engagement with parenting responsibilities – how we can make our children a part of our creative journey instead of seeing them as obstacles.
• The delicate balance between being fully present in the moment as a parent and detaching to think about it from a creative perspective and how Ben merges the two aspects through his writing.
• The ​relationship ​between ​form ​and ​content, and how ​the ​structures ​that ​we ​create ​allow ​for ​freedom ​or ​inhibit ​it.

More about Ben:

Website: www.ben-berman.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ben.berman.7927/

Pre-order Writing While Parenting here:https://bookshop.org/a/86159/9781773491110

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