After 3 years of finding art and writing, Doherty English teacher Mr. Fay has published his 15th book, Colors Are Optional. Colors Are Optional is a collection of poems based on artwork. After reading it, I can describe the poems as ranging from “whimsical” to “existential”. There is a variety of chosen artworks, from the extremely obscure (such as Ferret in a Brothel by an unknown painter) to the world-renowned (The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai, for example). For a deeper insight on Colors Are Optional and the writing process, I interviewed Mr. Fay.
Q: What made you want to write poems about art in the first place?
Q: What was your process for finding art to write about?
Q: Did you limit yourself to paintings, or did you explore other types of art? (e.g. sculptures, digital art, music, architecture)
Q: Billions of art pieces have been made over human history. What made you want to write a poem about a particular piece over any other?
Q: Colors Are Optional is your 15th book. How does it compare to your other work? Is this a new style for you or is it continuing from something you’ve already written?
Q: Did you try to stick to a similar theme through all your poems?
Q: How long did it take you to write Colors Are Optional?
Q: How many poems are in Colors Are Optional?
(I counted, there’s 104).
Q: Why did you title the book Colors Are Optional?
Q: Did you try to keep up a pace while writing (e.g. 1 poem a day, 5 poems a week, etc.), or did you simply write when you felt like it?
Q: What was your process for actually writing the poems?
Q: Was Colors Are Optional a solo project, or did you receive help (in any form) from others?
Q: Did you end up scrapping any poems that would otherwise have been in the book? Why?
Q: Did you experience writer’s block while writing Colors Are Optional? How did you get around it?
Q: What will you write next?
Colors Are Optional is a book I could recommend to anybody even if you aren’t interested in art or poetry. If you’re wanting to read it, you can ask Mr. Fay about getting a copy.
