Beyond the Creators: Michael Jones the Poet

The launch of Beyond Thought Journal’s first issue has been a long but satisfying journey. It encapsulates a range of art forms and mediums into a single aesthetically pleasing issue to celebrate undergraduate art. Amongst the submissions, “Chilled Metamorphosis” by Michael Jones, a poem about the “onset of colder weather” and hope, called out to me. The poem explores winter through a distinctive perspective and lures its readers with vivid imagery and creative structure. I had to meet the poet.

Michael Jones is a UNLV senior majoring in English. During our interview on the first episode of Beyond the Creators, we explored Micheal’s creative process, inspirations, and goals. We touched on writer’s block, how the pandemic has affected him and tried to answer the age-old question: What role does poetry play in society? 

What inspired you to create “Chilled Metamorphosis”?

The inspiration for this is essentially the change of the weather. Even with light outside, it can feel a little darker because of how cold it is and that was the original catalyst for this one. It comes from accepting that change and learning that they are certain qualities that can be enjoyed. Learning to do that is a process. 

Is there a specific process you follow when writing? Where do you find inspiration?

It generally comes from observing the things around me. From there it goes to “how can I write about it so it's different than what it is but keep the same essence of?” Trying to keep the picture with a spin on it. Then it moves on to drafting… where I have to write on paper. Then, three or four drafts after it can move to the computer, because otherwise, it doesn't really connect. 

I noted the reference to T.S Eliot, why was it important to include him in this particular poem?

Any chance I get to reference poets like T.S Eliot, I will take it because I really, really enjoy their work. It comes from his poem “The Hollow Man”... the theme in that poem was about a certain hollowness. It’s a different type of hollowness that he talks about... but because there is a shared aspect of things being hollow in nature, that’s what I was inspired by.

What do you want your readers to take away from your poem?

The last three lines - that’s the center. The goal is that even as the weather changes and the season changes ...feeling on the season changes and that all depends… there is hope. The last three lines were inspired by Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl which talks about being hopeful in spite of everything. Certain people may even have certain feelings attached to winter. The goal is to focus on hope, always.

When did you start writing?

In 8th grade, I started story writing and at the end of high school, I started to learn how to write sonnets. So that was three and a half years ago since I started doing this again. I’ve shifted from writing fiction to poems along the way.

How do you deal with writer’s block?

The notebook I generally keep is filled with cross marks. Oftentimes writers will have to shift gears for a little bit... One of the interesting things about being in college is that there is always a paper to write, there is always something you need to turn in… things like that. The best way for me is to shift focus - sometimes it can span from a couple of hours to a couple of months

What do you do with poems that you don’t release?

If we're talking about poems, I would say probably about two to three percent of the things I've written get some consideration of being sent out. Otherwise, I look at [my work] as if there is something to fix and I’m not entirely sure what that is. So it generally stays where it is. 

So what is the distinguishing factor that pushes you to put it out? Do you show it to friends? What’s that like?

There’s a certain standard that it needs to meet for me. One of them is how fun it was to write. If I read this out loud, does it sound good? Sometimes that is one of the deciding factors. Generally, it has to be fun for me to write, fun for me to read, and actually mean something. 

What’s your plan after graduation?

I did have some things planned but things shifted. I’ve decided to take some time to gain more teaching experience and refining my work. So eventually the plan is to go to grad school. However, there is this mystery area in between now and then, where I have absolutely no idea what could happen. 

Is there a certain career or position you would like to reach?

The end goal is to be a professor at some point, specifically in the English department somewhere. I have had a great time teaching - it is fun - and I feel like I'm doing something that really matters. Being a professor seems ideal.

What is the metamorphosis you went through as a poet?

Originally one of the things I liked doing was forms. I think it was excellent practice on how to start writing poems. I think I learned more about what I disliked about them, but it was a great way to learn about what you can’t do. I learned to take a contemporary approach. One of the people that helped me with that was Dr. Nicholson because he recommended books on it and told me to try it. There also has been a change in the way I see how poetry over the course of time I've been writing. I think it was very beneficial for me to come in with one perspective and then change it over time. Writing has also helped me redefine how I see other things [beyond poetry] too.

How has the pandemic affected you? 

I didn’t expect to have time to write. So I think it was the only way that I've been able to keep up with all those things I have going on this semester. But it has also given me an interesting perspective on the connection between humans and words, especially because we communicate a lot more over the Internet than we normally do. It’s added another lens to look at written words from a mechanical standpoint. It’s had a mixed effect in general. 

What place does poetry have in society? 

That’s a big question with a big answer. Poems serve a very similar function to the rest of art. In that change of expression, there are certain things that will come out in poetry that will not come out in, let's say, a painting. The roles of poetry, specifically in society, is that it helps us see things not in the way we normally would not, but in a way that is being presented to us by someone who has lived in an entirely different way. Sometimes what we see in a poem might be just what we need to go on about our day. I believe it has the effect to be exactly what we need. 

Bonus: What’s the person you get most of your inspiration from?

The answer is an easy one. Hannah, my sister, has been a big inspiration. There are certain people who are affected by the change of seasons, like my sister. So the idea for “Chilled Metamorphosis” came from changing to fit the season and keeping hopeful even if it's not your favorite season. This applies in life as well, I feel, there are some seasons in our lives that will genuinely suck. But I'm a firm believer of keeping hopeful in spite of everything. It’s sort of stubborn but I enjoy being hopeful.

Micheal Jones shares that “Chilled Metamorphosis” came from the ideas of hope despite the circumstances. Whether that be a season of the year or the pandemic, we must continue to have hope. To aspiring poets, the biggest takeaway Micheal wants to convey is to “keep going especially if you love it”. Patience is a virtue and determination is a strength, and allowing the slow process of self-growth will eventually promote growth in skills. Much like Michael’s own metamorphosis as a poet, every artist or creator is destined to undergo their own journey. 

“Michael Jones’ “Chilled Metamorphosis” stands apart for the poet’s mastery of techniques and spiritual insight. In the poem, Jones has the audacity to fashion the very winds that cast a torrent upon the soul into a song. The poem is propelled by its musicality and rhyme into the theme of conversion, particularly, how we must be undone and moved from the stasis in order to be made more holy. The poet expertly conveys this ex-stasis, in part, through form, as the poem’s form is at times suspended and violate, while the poet’s conversion is affirmed in the final two unwavering stanzas where the poet writes “I am a man, molded by wind/ into a windchime of winter.” Thematically, “Chilled Metamorphosis” is enriched by the presence of T.S. Eliot in its consciousness, demonstrating that it is interacting with the larger project of literature-a difficult yet crucial task for the poet.” - Alicia Manno / Poetry Editor

Some responses were edited slightly for easier reading. You can read his piece “Chilled Metamorphosis” in our Fall 2020 Issue.