Writer finds solace in poetry, publishing

For Margaret King, Port Washington is the perfect place to write.

Just not at home.

“I have a hard time writing at home because there are too many distractions and ‘should be doings,’” the self-publisher of poetry and short stories said.

But inspiration and peace aren’t far away.

“I often write while at the lakefront or Smith Brothers Coffee Shop,” she said.

One of her poems, “For Now, Life Doesn’t Apologize for its Symphonies,” was written on a bench in Upper Lake Park late last summer. It appears in “Isthmus” that was published last fall.

She remembers what it was like to see the book for the first time. She had self-published a novella and two short stories before, but never a book of poetry.

“Holding Isthmus was wonderful for me, because I never thought it would happen. I never dreamed I’d publish a book of poems, ever, so it was like a dream come true that I never realized I wanted until it happened. While in that sense, it was an accomplishment, it means nothing to me if people don’t enjoy the book, so when people started reading it and reacting, that was its true gift for me,” King said.

The book is 65 pages long, which King said falls in between a “chapbook” — a short collection with a theme and a “full-length” collection, which is usually more than 100 pages long without a theme.

“I really wanted ‘Isthmus’ to have a specific theme without overwhelming people with too many poems,” King said.

“Isthmus,” she said, is about connections and covers two years of work.

“I have tremendous belief in the power of poetry to connect us to ourselves, to nature, and to each other. The specific theme I want to get across in the book is how we can think of what we see in nature to process our own emotions, experiences, and relationships. It’s a book of passages and transitions, from the outer to the inner, and across time,” King said.

The book also includes three flash fiction stories at the end.

“With self-publishing, you can do that. You can think outside the box and have fun,” King said.

Some of her poems in the book were written when King traveled in North and South Dakota. She always tries to take a photo to go with each poem but couldn’t include those in the book.

One of her photos from North Dakota was included in an online literary journal, Vamp Cat Magazine, at https://www.vampcatmag.com/post/two-poems-margaret-king.

Her first poem was published in Unlost Journal about two and a half years ago.

“I sent it to them on a whim, never thinking anyone in the world would want to read a poem I’d written, let alone like it or publish it, but they published it right away,” King said. “I got a lot of nice feedback on it, which inspired me to send more work out to other places.”

Other works of King’s have been published, and last year she was one of the winners in the Lakefly Writing Contest in Oshkosh for her poem, “Survivorship.”

One of the joys of self-publishing, she said, is designing her own covers and crafting the final product. She wants her work to include as much local character and flavor as possible and her self-published materials are “heavily informed by local landscape and history.”

King is from Milwaukee but has lived in Port for 15 years. Her father is from Port and has roots in Luxembourg.

As an author, King became obsessed with Port and its combination of maritime, agriculture, manufacturing and Native American history

“Ecologically, I can’t get over the beauty of this stretch of lakeshore and its seasons — I never seem to tire of it. From the maple syrup tapping in spring, to the apples in late summer, the gorgeous autumns, and the peaceful snowy woods in winter, we’re so lucky to have so much to enjoy outdoors here,” she said.

Like every writer, King goes through her fair share of writer’s block. She has developed a way to work through it.

“I take a nice long walk, and remind myself not to stress about it. Writing from a sense of frustration is generally not a good thing,” she said.

“With poetry, and even prose, the rhythm of walking often brings not only a sense of calm, but a sense of words. A phrase might come to me, and I dictate it into my phone while I’m walking, so I don’t forget it, and can often expand on it later.”

Being a writer is one of King’s lifelong goals but her background is in geography and human culture, “which definitely informs my work,” she said.

King originally wanted to be a young adult novelist, but life circumstances and health limitations sent her to shorter forms such as poetry, flash fiction and short stories.

“In a way, these free me much more to research and think about a wide variety of things, and share widely and quickly,” she said.

She is a rarity in her extended family. It has several artists but King is the only writer.

Her writing skill grew as she became older.

“Teachers tended to think my stories were way too outlandish. As an adult, that outlandishness has been tempered with experience, which allows me to play but hopefully write with a bit more wisdom,” she said.

Writing has given King more than just therapy of a creative outlet. It has opened her to a sense of community with other writers and readers and helps her process her thoughts and emotions about the world.

“Because I’m so inspired by nature, it motivates me to get out and train my observation of our local environment, which is changing so quickly. I think we live in such a special time and place, that I’d like to record as much of it as I can — through both writing and photography — not only for future generations, but to help us all get thinking about what’s worth loving and what’s worth saving,” she said.

King shared some advice about publishing during a recent talk at the Niederkorn Library in Port.

Even for those who self-publish poetry, King recommends work be vetted through editors at poetry journals and magazines. Most poetry collections, she said, include between 40% and 60% of previously published works.

From her earlier days when she attempted to write a novel, King belonged to a novelist’s group that helped teach her self-publishing. She also took an online class on the topic.

Every time King completes a self-published work, she thinks “‘Never again.’” But then a new work develops and she gets excited again.

“When I have a new work and I’m in the zone, nothing feels better,” she said.

King already has enough poetry for a second book with a different theme.

During this “rough and uncertain time,” King recommends families take a shot at poetry. It’s a great way to get children thinking or have them express their thoughts.

“You can write about the birds out your window, the sunrise — anything — this is a historic time and we should record what it’s like. Don’t worry about it being perfect — a person could write the most technically perfect poem, but if it doesn’t

impact the reader, its perfection means little to anyone,” she said.

“Poetry is about connection, not perfection. Keep up your connections with your emotions, the world, and your community — both now and always.”