Some Questions for Clare Kenefick

What inspired you to write “Polarized Politics”?
I have been writing more poems again in the past year or so and I am the only one who usually gets to see them. One of my professors made an announcement in class about The Lit and I thought it would be a great opportunity to try to share some of my work.

What was your writing process like for “Polarized Politics”?
I was in English 102 with Professor Terry Cole who is really great at encouraging creativity. Professor Cole had an assignment for his class that had several prompts, one included writing a poem. I started the poem but gave up and submitted a different prompt to the assignment. Professor Cole asked me to share the poem I had written. I edited it again before submitting it. In the poem I was thinking of how many of us can be stubborn and only see things from one side, our side. This is especially true in politics. I wanted to write about what each side of a different perspective sees when looking at one another.

How has COVID impacted your creative work?
I feel I have been writing more. The stresses of COVID and the devastation it has had on so many people we can see on the news and around the city. I also have watched the resilience and coming together of people, which has been really beautiful and has inspired me to watch people and write about what I see.


Read Clare Kenefick’s “Polarized Politics.”