Dave Young Interview: Part 2

Continuing our interview with author and poet Dave Young, in which we discuss Dave's three poetry collections and the art form itself...

Photo © Dave Young

Tell me a little bit about your collections of poetry: Ready to Ignite Water's Edge and Angel Spit.

Ready to Ignite is a mix of themes ranging from the joy/frustration of writing, the reality of life for some living on Teesside, the awkwardness of a first kiss and the poet's natural stomping ground love and death.

Water's Edge
Image © Dave Young

Water's Edge is a collaboration with Teesside fine artist Juliet Adele exploring themes of childhood, growing up, nostalgia and the pain of lost love. Juliet and I describe it as poetry and art coming together from the sane inspiration source.

Angelspit explores the themes of change, intimacy and self doubt. The word angelspit is a metaphysical symbol visualised through the shape of a tear, a drop of water, a glucose drip, the pearl buttons of a wedding dress etc. The shape, in its various forms, provides the glue that holds each poem in this collection together.

How relevant is poetry today? Is it a dying art?

I don't believe poetry is dying, far from it. In Teesside alone there are many poets practicing their art in venues across the Tees Valley. In challenging times it is often the arts that provide a vehicle for people to identify with. Poetry has and will continue to roll with the times because poets write about universal themes that effect us all.


To be concluded...