Interview with Poet Arthur Turfa

Arthur Turfa

Batesburg, South Carolina

USA

Good morning, Arthur, and welcome to Vision and Verse. We're happy to have you here with us this morning. Can you tell us what you've written?

A book of poems, Places and Times.

What is your favorite genre to write?  

Poetry

Favorite food. 

Goulash

Tea or coffee?   

Tea

Pizza or ice cream?  

Pizza

Wine or beer? 

Beer

Where would you like to visit?

Istanbul

Favorite musical artist.  

Bruce Springsteen

Do you listen to music when you write?  What?    

I listen to symphonic string music when I write. Ralph Vaughan Williams, Natalie Portman

What makes Arthur Turfa laugh? 

Three Stooges, Fawlty Towers, some people.

Favorite work of art or sculpture.  

Caspar David Friedrich’s “The Wanderer in Fog.”

How old were you when you started writing?   

16

Describe your perfect evening. 

A good dinner with my wife, then Netflix.

Where do you get your inspiration? 

People I’ve met, places I’ve been, things I’ve read, the divine spark.

What do you do when you get a writer's block? 

Take a walk

Who is your favorite author? 

John Updike

Best book you ever read.

“The Rabbit Novels”

Last book you read. 

”The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath.

What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?  

Serve a parish in a small town in the mountains.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why? 

Alan Worthington. Like a second father. WWII vet, I knew him from my high school years on. He mentored me even when he did not know it. Over the years we grew closer after I myself joined the military.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?  

I would love to have some beer with Martin Luther. We would discuss theology, writing, music, and beer.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?  

Read all that you can. Imitate someone at first, then find your own voice.

Thank you for being with us this morning, Arthur. You are a wise and gentle soul. We at Vision and Verse wish you continued success in all your endeavors.