Editorial According to a recent survey, up to 70% of skilled, successful people live with the feeling that they’re a fraud – despite the presence of evidence that strongly suggests otherwise. “This feeling of fakin' it,” sang Paul Simon, “I still haven't shaken it.” This psychological phenomenon, known as ‘Imposter Syndrome’, sees genuinely-talented achievers put their accomplishments down to fluke or deception, enduring a persistent, unwarranted fear of being exposed. It’s by no means a phenomenon unique to writers, but many have experienced this ache of doubt throughout their careers, among them Maya Angelou, Neil Gaiman and John Steinbeck. “No one else knows my lack of ability the way I do,” wrote the Nobel Prize-winning Steinbeck in his diary, “I am pushing against it all the time.”
clare e. potter knows this feeling all too well. Despite a long list of accomplishments on her CV, clare is hugely self-critical, and regularly questions whether her voice deserves to be heard. She discusses this candidly on our Issue 8 podcast: “I read lots of other poets, especially from Wales, and I just think they’re brilliant...why am I considering that I’m on that level?” For clare, this feeds into a larger crisis of confidence that has caused progress to stall on A Certain Darkness, her second collection of poems.
However, what makes you credible as a poet is the ability to write a poem that moves people, that says something original. Based on these terms, if you were to ask us whether clare’s voice deserves to be heard, then our answer would be “absolutely.” Thankfully, reading about Steinbeck’s self-doubt in Working Days: The Journals of The Grapes of Wrath has countered clare’s crisis somewhat, as has some sage advice from her peers. This is great news for fans of her poetry, with that second collection much anticipated. We’re pleased to be able to give you a taste of what to expect from it by featuring clare in this issue.
Click here to see the full issue on crunchpoetry.com
w/ Clare E. Potter
Editorial
According to a recent survey, up to 70% of skilled, successful people live with the feeling that they’re a fraud – despite the presence of evidence that strongly suggests otherwise. “This feeling of fakin' it,” sang Paul Simon, “I still haven't shaken it.” This psychological phenomenon, known as ‘Imposter Syndrome’, sees genuinely-talented achievers put their accomplishments down to fluke or deception, enduring a persistent, unwarranted fear of being exposed. It’s by no means a phenomenon unique to writers, but many have experienced this ache of doubt throughout their careers, among them Maya Angelou, Neil Gaiman and John Steinbeck. “No one else knows my lack of ability the way I do,” wrote the Nobel Prize-winning Steinbeck in his diary, “I am pushing against it all the time.”
clare e. potter knows this feeling all too well. Despite a long list of accomplishments on her CV, clare is hugely self-critical, and regularly questions whether her voice deserves to be heard. She discusses this candidly on our Issue 8 podcast: “I read lots of other poets, especially from Wales, and I just think they’re brilliant...why am I considering that I’m on that level?” For clare, this feeds into a larger crisis of confidence that has caused progress to stall on A Certain Darkness, her second collection of poems.
However, what makes you credible as a poet is the ability to write a poem that moves people, that says something original. Based on these terms, if you were to ask us whether clare’s voice deserves to be heard, then our answer would be “absolutely.” Thankfully, reading about Steinbeck’s self-doubt in Working Days: The Journals of The Grapes of Wrath has countered clare’s crisis somewhat, as has some sage advice from her peers. This is great news for fans of her poetry, with that second collection much anticipated. We’re pleased to be able to give you a taste of what to expect from it by featuring clare in this issue.
Click here to see the full issue on crunchpoetry.com