[James P. Wagner (Ishwa)]
In today’s feature, we look at a poet who wears multiple hats outside of the world of poetry, and it is none other than the immensely talented James P. Wagner (Ishwa). From what we know, he has thrilled audiences as a comedian, won many hearts as an actor and now helps poets tell relatable stories through his essays and fiction writings. In this edition. We learn more about the man and the journey which has seen him edit over a hundred and thirty anthologies.
Time for introduction. Very briefly, who is James P. Wagner (Ishwa)?
I am a publisher for Local Gems Press which was founded in 2010; the editor of somewhere between 130 and 140 poetry anthologies; and the owner of the Dog-eared Bard’s Bookshop in Long Island, New York. I periodically organize events too.
So Mr Wagner, one of the most interesting things about your work is the sheer volume of anthologies you have edited. How did you do it?
There was no real master plan to achieve this feat. It was just persistence. In fact, the first anthology I edited happened purely by accident. I was in the poetry club back in my grad school days when I was studying to be a college professor. Somewhere along the line, I tried to get a good number of poets in one room at the same time. It proved a bit challenging until I strategically put up an anthology which featured 39 poets. It went well. They came.
In fact, some of the participants asked when the next anthology would happen. That was when it occurred to me that we had to have another. So I did the next one and the next one and the next one till it became a full-blown ongoing program. It also helped a lot that one of the anthologies was themed around autism at a time when autism was getting a lot of attention. From there on, the rest- as they say – is history.
When it comes to your work with anthologies, what parts of it would you consider hardest and what parts are the easiest for you?
The hardest part is shaping the poems that go into each anthology. I have apparently edited anthologies so often that it has become easy for me. However, figuring what poem goes in and what goes out is the tricky part.
For people starting out in the world of poetry, what words do you have for them?
Find and join a local community in your niche. It will positively influence your growth. Also, write more and submit your poems more often to increase your chances of getting published.
What advice do you have for poets looking to increase productivity in their field?
Consistency is the key. Depending on your energy and passion levels, you could decide to write one poem per day or two per week or ten per month. Regardless of what you choose, try your best to stick to it and you’ll see yourself writing a whole lot of poems in a very short time.
Back to your exploits with anthologies, you have worked on a whole lot of poems. Which ones would you consider some of your favourites?
There are a lot of good ones. However, the first ones that come to my mind right now are the ones themed around autism (Perspectives: Poetry Concerning Autism and other Disabilities), poet laureates (A Wreath of Golden Laurels) and the fairly recent one about East Coast of the United States (Eastern Sea Barbs).
When it comes to poetry, what’s something you’d like to be remembered for?
I’d like to look back at my work with the fulfillment of knowing I helped many poets enjoy the gift and leverage of community. Not only does community give poets the opportunity to network with their peers, but it also keeps their passion alive as they participate from one anthology to the next; one program to the next.
We hope to see and share more of Mr Wagner’s creativity whether as an anthology editor or actor or historian. Until the next time, stay with us for more good stuff.