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“Well, that’s almost four months ago now. And if anyone thinks the guys were idle during Parker’s absence, they’re mistaken. Because … Tristan James did it again. A collection of new poems was released two weeks ago. A small volume that is already praised by critics.
“And you won’t believe it: Tristan James spoke with us! Yes, with us! Not with Clint, of course, and unfortunately, not with me either. But he did speak with us, and I have an excerpt from the interview conducted by Cathy. Let’s play the recording!”
“A celebration for all poets and lovers of beautiful words. I feel honored to welcome Tristan M. James to the Lit-Hour today. His latest poetry collection has just been released. It’s called THE STILL STARS OF THE HEAVENLY SPHERES. A wonderful collection of poems that has already received great acclaim in the literary scene. Mr. James, thank you for coming.”
“The pleasure is all mine.”
“The book is out. The first edition sold out in ten days. How does that feel?”
“Somewhat frightening, I must admit.”
“The critics are thrilled. I also really liked the poems. They’re different from your previous ones.”
“Yes. The poems were created under rather extraordinary circumstances, one could say.”
“Do you distinguish between song lyrics and poems? Or do you write and decide afterward whether it will remain a poem or become a song?”
“Hmm … I haven’t had to decide yet. It’s more like there’s a time when I write poems and a time when I write song lyrics. Even the intention to write is different. But that doesn’t mean a poem can’t be a song lyric.”
“And how did this collection come about? What was extraordinary about the circumstances that allowed these poems to come into being?”
“Well, probably a glance at the last few months is enough to see what the poems are based on. My brother’s death brought back many memories. Things I obviously hadn’t processed. And while Leaf was in rehab, I realized I had to deal with it somehow. The poems are less sociocritical than my previous ones. They spring more from within me and are much more personal.”
“The poetry collection was published by a different publisher than the first two poetry collections. How did that come about?”
“I didn’t know my former publisher had changed jobs. I just called her and told her I had something new. And so one thing led to another.”
“You won a poetry competition as a teenager, is that correct?”
“Yes. I was seventeen or so. My brother encouraged me to submit something back then. I never thought anyone would want to read my poems. Especially not in today’s world. Who has the time for poetry anymore? But … all of a sudden, I was being compared to Dylan Thomas.”
“Who are your influences? Are there poets you emulate?”
“Emulating is probably the wrong word. I go through different phases instead. I am a big fan of William Blake. At some point, I devoured all of T.S. Eliot’s texts. Then came Dylan Thomas and Bob Dylan. For a while, I delved into German poetry, then English. It continued like that. I’ve read more poems than novels. Even today, I still prefer them.”
“How do you deal with pressure?”
“Pressure really messes me up. But without it, THE STILL STARS OF THE HEAVENLY SPHERES couldn’t have been created. I hate pressure, but I also see it as a necessary evil.”
“How did you come up with this title?”
“In a way, it’s a homage to Dylan Thomas.”
“So, folks! Anna Banana here. The full interview with Tristan James drops tonight at nine on Lit-Hour with Cathy. Don’t miss it! Joining me today is Clint. Hey there, Clint! How’s it going? What’s it like knowing you’ll never interview Nightstalker again?”
“Hi, Anna. Yeah, shitty, of course. But I try to see the positive in it. At least I didn’t get a lifelong concert ban.”
“I don’t quite understand. Isn’t that a bit drastic? The way Tristan James talked about his brother in the interview, he seems to have processed the past few months pretty well.”
“They probably don’t want to take any more risks. From what I’ve heard, they’ll even be accompanied by a personal doctor on tour.”
“A psychologist?”
“Probably. That’s the rumor at least. But I think it’s okay. Parker just got out of rehab and …”
“And, damn, he looks so hot! Did you see the photo on José’s IG account?”
“Ha! Sorry, Anna, but I’m not into guys like that.”
