Jake Skeets

EYES BOTTLE DARK WITH A MOUTHFUL OF FLOWERS Milkweed Editions (National Poetry Series)

the closest men become is when they are covered in blood or nothing at all —from “Naked”

HOW IT BEGAN: It started with the body. The learning of desire prompted many of the poems in the early versions of the manuscript. My life shifted when I moved back home to the reservation. I noticed that the fields that surround Gallup, New Mexico, where I first experienced desire during summers and winters home, were also fields where other men would lose their lives. I also returned to the portrait of my uncle—a photograph Richard Avedon took of him in 1979—that is on the cover of the book. I began excavating the layers that exist in the narrative and violence of Gallup. Suddenly the fields that surround Gallup became a place for reflection, both in the collection and in my real life.

INSPIRATION: First, the land. The other day I noticed how quickly smoke from nearby forest fires can be cleared out by strong winds. Second, the way my mom and dad tell stories. They are the best storytellers. Third, the Black Mountain poets. Finally, all the other Diné poets.

WRITER’S BLOCK REMEDY: I turn to craft. I turn to experimentation. If I am stuck on a particular image or trigger, I will give myself rules to compose a poem. I will use random word generators or word scramblers online. I give myself prompts that force me away from the left margin. I try to approach the poem through its language. This work and energy is a way to honor language and honor the image or trigger that inspired the poem.

ADVICE: Carry your manuscript everywhere with you.

AGE: 27. RESIDENCE: Tsaile, Arizona. JOB: English faculty at Diné College. TIME SPENT WRITING THE

BOOK: About three years. TIME SPENT FINDING A

HOME FOR IT: I submitted the collection to several prizes before I heard from the National Poetry Series. I am very fortunate that the book was published only a year after finishing my MFA.