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

Written By Kaitlin Solimine
 
 

Before we dive into this episode…
We wanted ​to ​say ​that ​we ​appreciate ​you ​for ​continuing ​to ​come ​back ​to ​listen ​to ​these ​conversations, ​and ​we would love to hear ​your ​feedback. ​So ​please ​find ​us ​online at www.postpartumproduction.com and on Instagram @postpartumproductionpodcast.

We're ​also ​excited ​that ​our ​next ​season ​will ​be ​an ​even ​deeper ​dive ​into ​childbirth ​& ​art ​and ​the ​intersection ​of ​creativity ​and ​the ​birth ​process. ​So ​expect ​a ​lot ​more ​there ​coming ​in ​2024!

"Embracing my children and the life of a father, in particular, gives me both immediacy and some distance in terms of the expectations and the reality of how much you can sometimes be involved– thinking of that as the writing material. So I'm not choosing, I'm merging the two. The most complex themes are often right in front of us, and if what is right in front of us is a four-year-old throwing her socks in the toilet, I want to make room for that in my poetry as well.

I'm not going to try to write some great literature that's detached from the reality of my life. And of my life, my children are the most wonderful and important thing to me. As difficult as parenting is, that's where my heart always is.

[So] how do you make that your creative engagement as opposed to thinking of them in opposition to one another?"
~ Ben Berman

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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Kaitlin Solimine
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S2E15 - A Moment in Time: Looking Back on Season Two’s Highlights, Lessons, and Reasons for Hope in Caregiving and Creativity
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S2E13: Mom Rage is a Weathervane—Minna Dubin on Maternal Anger and Structural Inequalities in American Society