The Centurion got a chance
to sit down and talk with
Lorraine Henrie Lins, who was
named the 2010 Bucks County
Poet Laureate last month.
Q: When did you first start
writing?
A: When I technically first
started writing was maybe
about 10 or 15 years ago, I was
a mom at home with kids and I
was looking to get out of the
house and I went to a night
class and started writing there
and its been go-go-go ever
since.
Q: What made you start writing?
A: I’ve always enjoyed writing,
but it wasn’t something I
was extremely passionate
about until taking the night
class. That’s what started me
writing.
Q: Do you have any writers
that you look up to?
A: Oh my gosh, well
absolutely! You can start from
way back when, when I was
little and I didn’t even realize
that I was getting poetry when
I was younger; my dad used to
read us Longfellow. There was
a collection of nursery rhymes
and poems out of a book and
we just thought they were bed
time stories but it turns out I
was reading poetry at a really
early age. In my teen years,
Springsteen was huge and I
loved his music but I would
love to sit and read his cover.
Back then we had records, not
CD’s, and they were these big
vinyl things and they came in
these fabulous covers and it
was artwork and it was lyrics,
but the lyrics were like poems
and I would just sit and pour
over these poems and they
were phenomenal lyrics. So I
look up, obviously, to
Springsteen, any of the classic
poets like Neruda, Whitman, I
love Walt Whitman, and Frost.
I use to read Frost when I was
younger as well.
Q: What inspires you so
much about Springsteen?
A: The lyrics, there are song
lyrics that just repeat, repeat,
repeat, and it’s the same chorus
over and over, but Springsteen
has this ability to pack his song
dense with lyrics and words
that just, they’re poetry,
they’re poems. I don’t know
what drove me to it, it was just
an amazing ability to reach out
and touch other people through
his words.
Q: You have a new book
coming out, “I Called it
Swimming.”
A: Yes I do!
Q: Any other published
works?
A: That is my first official
collection. I’ve been published
other places but that is my first
official collection that is going
out on my very own. I’m very
proud of it, I can’t wait. That’s
coming out actually in January
from Finishing Line Press.
Q: Being named the 2010
Bucks County Poet Laureate
came with a $500 cash reward,
any big plans for that?
A: I have plans for half of it
and that’s already been taken
care of that will be a donation
and the other half is just kind
of sitting there waiting to be
decided. I can’t decide what to
do with it. I think it will probably
be spent on my family
since they’ve been so great,
maybe Christmas, I don’t
know, we’ll see.
Q: What kind of advice can
you give to poets and writers
out there who are still undiscovered
and trying to get
noticed?
A: Don’t give up. Last year I
was like, “that’s it, I’m done.
I’m not submitting anywhere
else, I’m not submitting anymore
contests, no more manuscripts,
I’m done! I’ve given
up!” And then the next thing
you know another door opens
and then all of a sudden everything
was working in my favor.
So two bits of advice that go
hand in hand, “Don’t give up”
and “Write for yourself.” Don’t
write for someone else, write
whatever’s inside and just keep
going at it.
Q: What can we expect next
from you?
A: I have some food shopping
to do later ha-ha. It’s been
sort of whirl-wind, I know it
sounds very cliché but I think
it’s such an honor to have been
chosen Poet Laureate and it’s
still all very new to me, so I am
completely over whelmed. I’ve
been invited to readings and
speaking engagements and it
has inspired me to do some
more writing so I guess more
writings, I don’t know. Look
for me at a bookstore near you
I guess.
Q: Anything you’d like to
add?
A: I’m thrilled, I’m honored..