the way a poem defied common sense

rob mclennan: How did you come to poetry first, as opposed to, say, fiction or non-fiction?

Jeff Latosik: I found the smallness of poetry compelling. When I would read a great poem, I would think that this little thing had no business being as big, as expansive, as it was. I liked the way a poem defied common sense. Most of what I encountered in other areas of my life seemed to argue the opposite: more is better, keep acquiring, building, advancing. There's this kind of slate-cleaning appeal to poetry. Only use what's necessary.

- Jeff Latosik, in his 12 or 20 Questions which, combined with this poem, has convinced me to pick up Latosik's first book when it hits the shelves next month.